Between Truth and Heaven
by AdvancedAlto
Summary: It took him years to understand and admit what his heart told him. When the chance to finally return to Alto Mare presents itself the Hero of Truth doesn't hesitate to take it. Altoshipping, post-Unova/pre-Kalos.
1. Chapter 1

**Oh man, where do I start? I simply lost motivation to write on _Rose of May_ , which lead to the cancellation of it. If you remember, I promised at end of _Beyond Stars and Chains_ that there would be a sequel. I started writing on it, but decided to read _Beyond Stars and Chains_ to get inspiration. How could anyone of you read it? It was at best a decent story, a far cry from what I had wanted. The result of all? A reimagining of _Beyond Stars and Chains_! There are a lot of differences to the original, as you will notice. I have increased the length quite a bit and improved the pacing. So, I hope you will enjoy reading it as much I have enjoyed writing it. Welcome to _Between Truth and Heaven_! Read and enjoy!**

 **PS: I'm looking for a beta-reader, so if you're interested please contact me and we'll see from there.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

Brock didn't know what went through Ash's head at that moment, but he was confident that no loss could ever crush Ash like that. A loss was a loss, and Ash always took them to heart. He would always bounce back, no matter what. But lying on the bed in the room he shared with Ash, Brock nearly thought he was dreaming as he heard quiet sobs come from the opposite side of the room. Doing nothing, Brock eventually heard Ash leave their room, most likely standing on the balcony. Ash had decided to take on the Hoenn League again, asking him if he wanted to tag along. Brock had without hesitation accepted, taking a break from working as a Pokemon Doctor. Through sheer coincidence they had met May in Slateport City, a more than enjoyable coincidence. She, like Ash, wanted to take another shot at the Hoenn Contests, aiming for a victory at the Grand Festival this time. The Grand Festival was still ongoing, but the Evergrande Conference was over. Sadly, Ash lost in the finals. Shaking his head, Brock sat up, not needing to think if he should confront Ash or not. This wasn't the first time he had found Ash crying. The first time had been back in Johto, not long before the Silver Conference. It wasn't the only time. In Hoenn and Sinnoh, Brock had found Ash crying, but he had never confronted him about it. But now, he thought he had made the connection to what was wrong with Ash. He could be completely wrong, but Brock was confident. He knew Ash, and helping him was a top priority. Standing up, Brock silently walked towards the balcony, carefully opening the door in order to not be noticed by Ash. His friend was leaning over the railing, Pikachu sitting on his shoulder. Ash and Pikachu's relationship was something that always interested Brock. Best friends wouldn't be enough to describe their relationship. It was more like sibling love, Pikachu doing everything she could in order to help Ash. Both trainer and Pokemon were clearly staring at something, which Brock thought to be a paper of sorts. He carefully approached them, but Pikachu's ears twitched, alerting her trainer to him. Well, now he had his chance.

"Brock?" Ash asked, turning around to look at one of his oldest friends. His expression was a far cry from his usual cheery disposition. It was nearly worrying to see Ash like this, so somber and serious. Hopefully he could at least lighten the burden on Ash's heart, if not find a solution for him. Eventually a sad smile appeared on Ash's face. "Did I wake you up? Sorry if I did. So, I suppose you didn't come out here just to get some fresh air, did you?" Brock shook his head. "Heh, you were always observant."

The way Ash talked was a testament to his improvement as a trainer and as a person. He wasn't that different all those years ago really. Instead he was less experienced and hadn't gotten the chance to mature like he had now. 11 years did a lot to him, and they did only good things to him. Brock remembered hearing about Ash's Unova journey. He had dropped down a place from Sinnoh, something that obviously hit Ash hard. But he didn't panic like he usually did. He travelled a bit more and returned home. But instead of directly going to the next region, he stayed in Pallet Town. He didn't even train a lot during the first year. He had been 17, still young, but he had already matured. He took a year off. The following year he travelled across Kanto. He didn't take on the Indigo League, but instead decided to fly around Kanto, challenging the different gym leaders and even asked if Bruno and Lance had time to battle him. He changed his team before each battle, something he had only done briefly in Sinnoh, and in Unova he had been told. Brock had been proud, travelling to Cerulean to watch Ash and Misty duke it out. It had been a treat to watch them battle. After that Ash travelled to the Indigo Plateau, taking on Bruno and Lance. Against Lance he managed to hold his ground, but in the end the reigning Champion beat him. His match against Bruno was a lot closer. Again Ash lost, but he took it in stride. It ended with Ash challenging him, a battle he lost to Ash. From there on he trained, balancing his training with breaks and spending time with all of his Pokemon. If he there was a strong bond between him and all of his Pokemon before that, the bond they had the next time Brock met him was incredible. And seemingly Pikachu and Ash gotten even closer in that time.

"Someone had to take care of you, so I like to think I know when something bothers you," Brock replied, wearing a smile of his own. Now that he got a closer look at what Ash was holding, he recognized it immediately. Brock knew how valuable it was to Ash, and it was one of his most treasured memories. This convinced him about what bothered Ash, and it made Brock happy and sad. He had, and many others, teased Ash about never being interested in girls beyond friendship, even though very many girls tried their best to capture Ash's attention. Maybe he wasn't as dense as he had thought all along. He hadn't made the connection the first time he found Ash crying, not long after they left Alto Mare. He simply thought that Ash missed Alto Mare. "I always thought you were completely oblivious to girls in any romantic way. But, it seems like I underestimated the dense boy from Pallet Town. So, tell me Ash, which beauty of Alto Mare has captured your heart?"

Instead of answering, Ash gave him the drawing he had been looking at. Brock had to admit it was something special, depicting him and Pikachu. He had been more than surprised that the picture wasn't the only thing he got before leaving Alto Mare. The drawing was most likely from Bianca, Brock doubting that Latias had the skill to draw something like that. But, he still didn't know who had been at the dock at that day to give Ash the drawing, and the kiss.

"Would you believe me if I said Latias?" Ash wondered, now wearing a real smile. Brock wondered how he hadn't understood that earlier. Of course Ash wouldn't fall for a normal girl, seeing how easily he bonded with Pokemon. And, he and Latias had gotten rather close during their short stay in Alto Mare. Brock had met many trainers, both during his time as a gym leader and later on doctor, and when travelling with Ash. But few came close to the bond Ash shared with all of his Pokemon, and Latias was most likely not any different. "I didn't understand what I was feeling until Hoenn. It was there where I understood that I missed Latias. And now having faced a Latias didn't help either."

"I should have known," Brock stated, somewhat disappointed in himself that he hadn't been able to figure it out earlier. Maybe he could salvage something. "You know, the Grand Festival ends tomorrow, after May has taken on Drew. How about we take a vacation after that?"

Ash looked at Brock like he had gone mad. A vacation sounded nice, especially after all the hard work he had gone through in order to have a shot at winning the conference. Over his trainer career he rarely ever took a vacation. Looking down at Pikachu, who had made herself at home in his arms, he petted her carefully while thinking about Brock's suggestion. The more and more Ash thought about it, the more appealing the idea of a vacation got. "Alright, we'll take a vacation after the Grand Festival is done," Ash accepted, not having needed very long to embrace the idea. Now they just needed to figure out where they wanted to go, and prepare for it. "Where do you propose we go?"

Brock had to chuckle at Ash's question, staying silent for a while before he spoke up. "Haven't you guessed already?" Even after 11 years, Ash still had some of these moments where he didn't think through everything he said or did. Taking the drawing from Ash's hands, Brock held it up for him to see. Slowly, it dawned on Ash what Brock had in mind. Ash had to admit to himself that he could be rather stupid sometimes. "Where did you get this from? What have we been talking about this entire time?"

"Alto Mare," Ash didn't need to say it, but he always preferred to speak what was on his mind. He had played with the idea a few times, but before he returned from Unova he had a rather one-sided mind. Finish going through one region, return home, take on the next one. He sometimes wondered how he could have been like that. "Are we going there as soon as the Grand Festival is over, or do you have something else in mind first?"

That was something Brock hadn't thought about, but he supposed they could return home first before heading there. "I guess returning home should be something we do, maybe pack some new stuff for the trip. And, it's probably better to tell our parents in person than telling them that we plan to go to Alto Mare over phone," Brock suggested, Ash nodding in agreement. "But before we can even think about, we still have to cheer on May tomorrow."

"Sure do. Even if I didn't succeed with what I had in mind, doesn't mean May won't. Isn't that right, girl?" Ash petted Pikachu again behind her ear, earning a coo of agreement. Brock still got amazed very time he watched those two interact. It was something only a handful of trainers possibly ever could obtain.

"Pikapi, kachu pika." Sometimes Brock wished that he even could understand the gist of what one of his Pokemon were saying. Ash understood all of his Pokemon to a certain agree, but with Pikachu he understood everything she said.

"Hey Brock, do you think that May would be interested in tagging along?" Ash wondered, which was likely what Pikachu said to him. 'The more the merrier' they say, so he didn't see why they couldn't ask if she was interested in coming with them. "I mean, I enjoy travelling with her, and she would probably love going to Alto Mare."

"Sure, we can ask her," Brock said, running a hand through his hair. Glancing at his watch, Brock noticed that they had been standing outside for quite some time. "But let's wait with that until the Grand Festival is over. And if we want to get up in time tomorrow, or today I suppose, we should probably head back inside and try to sleep."

"You're right," Ash replied, turning around to stare at the ocean, before noticing that Brock was heading inside. Following him, Ash had to thank his friend. "Thank you Brock. Talking like this really helped me. Now I could just wish that we would have had this talk before my battle."

Patting his best friend on the shoulder, Brock shook his head. "I'm not sure we would have had this conversation yesterday. But, I'm glad to see you're okay, Ash," Sitting on his bed, Brock waited for Ash to do the same. Lying down, Brock closed his eyes. "Good night Ash."

"Good night Brock."

* * *

"I knew it," Ash couldn't deny the accusation in any way, seeing that it was fault that they had overslept. Somehow, his and Brock's conversation had gone quite long it seemed, which in turn lead to both of them not waking up in time. They really should have set that alarm. Hurrying to get ready, Ash had to look around for his hat, spotting it on the rack next to the door. "Hurry up!"

"I'm coming!" Ash called back, pulling the hat from the rack and placing it on his head. It was an interesting change to see Brock not be calm for once, which he usually was in most situations. Even more of a surprise was it as he watched his friend nearly tear the door from its socket as he exited their room. Looking back, Ash saw Pikachu sprinting after them. Holding his arm out, Ash waited for Pikachu to climb on his shoulder before rushing after Brock. "How much time do we have?"

"40 minutes!" Brock shouted backwards, already a bit ahead of Ash. Hopefully, that would be enough time for some breakfast and getting to the arena in time. Finding the cafeteria, Brock slowed down, which allowed Ash to catch up to him. They had 35 minutes, which should be enough to eat in peace, and find some nice seats. Taking a plate each, they started walking around and picking whatever they wanted to eat before finding an empty table where they could sit. "We better hurry up, I'm sure May would like to see us before it begins."

Nodding his head in agreement, Ash started shoving his breakfast down his throat, Brock doing the same thing, but at a slower pace. "I wonder which of her Pokemon May will use. She practiced with two different combinations against me, and both were really good in my mind." Ash said, thinking back to his training battle against May. He personally felt that neither was lacking, but considering he didn't watch that many contests he maybe wasn't the best one to judge. "I just hope she wins it. Wouldn't it be great to win where she first made herself a name?"

Brock was about to responded, before another another voice cut him off. "Ash? Ash Ketchum?"

Turning in the direction of the voice, a young man walked up to them. The silver hair was more than a giveaway, nearly every trainer in Hoenn able to recognize him. Standing up, Ash shook the hand he was offered, eventually sitting down and gesturing for the newcomer to sit down. "I didn't think to meet you here, of all places, Steven," Ash greeted his acquaintance, only having met him briefly a few times. It was somewhat of a surprise for him to see Steven here, where as he normally would be most likely looking for rare stones wherever he could. "So, what brings you here? Did you watch the conference?"

At that Steven smiled and nodded. Putting his hand in his pocket, it was clear that he had something in there, but he didn't reveal what it was yet. "I was, and more importantly I watched all of your matches," Steven explained, which surprised both Ash and Brock. Why would Steven be interested in his match? Sure, he was a good trainer, but it didn't mean he was worth putting all your attention on. "Don't look so surprised. Your reputation is already a step ahead of you. A few people have told me about your exploits in different regions, and they are most impressive. But, something that has nagged me was why you lost. You clearly had the edge throughout the entire battle, no matter how close it was. What made you lose right at the end like that?"

Ash couldn't stop himself from sighing. He knew that he should have won, that he had the win in the bag. He had two Pokemon left while his opponent only had one. Why did it have to be a Latias? Pikachu could have probably won that, having made sure that he wouldn't use him unless he needed to. And he still lost because he was unable to not get distracted by the Latias his opponent used. "I got distracted," Ash admitted, smiling sadly. Instead of lingering on those thoughts, Ash turned his attention to matters at hand. "I regret that something as simple as that stopped me from winning, but it can't be changed."

A laugh rang across the rather empty cafeteria, coming from Steven. Putting his hand in his pocket again, Steven pulled out whatever he had in there, holding it up in the light. For most people it would be a a simple bracelet. For a veteran trainer it would be one of the most valuable things you could possibly get. "So you know what this is, don't you?" It wasn't even a question really, instead being more of a statement. Ash couldn't help but to stare at it. A keystone was invaluable, and often only something had by the strongest trainers in the world. Champions and Elite Four among them. Why Steven would simply show one to them was beyond their understanding so far. "I'm sure I could have been here under any circumstance. Being a Champion just adds watching the conference to one of the many things you have to do," Brock blinked a few times at the statement while Ash had to close his mouth in order to not look stupid "Don't look so surprised, alright? I used to be Champion before we met, but decided that I wanted to more things. Like travel and search for rare stones. I can still do both, in Hoenn only though. I decided to regain my title as Champion from Wallace, something I don't regret doing. Now, the reason I'm showing you this is because I want you to have this Ash."

Ash's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, having a hard time comprehending what he was hearing. Steven was the Hoenn Champion and wanted to give him a Keystone? Having a Keystone was something he had only dreamed of. Yes, it was somewhat worthless without a Mega Stone, but that was a worry for another day. "Why would you give something like that to me?" Ash still couldn't believe it. The Hoenn Champion was giving him a Keystone. He had always wanted one, but he hadn't imagined he would obtain one this soon. "I mean, sure I'm a decent trainer. But there has to be more behind it, right?"

"Not really. I specifically came here to watch you. If I really wanted I could have gotten my will through about not having to go here. I didn't. You're a beyond talented trainer, and I've no doubt that you could take on any Elite Four in the world and go far against them. A real match against a Champion?" Steven reasoned, "It's possible. I feel like you're worthy of using Mega Evolution. It's something you can only achieve if your bond with your Pokemon is strong enough. You're skilled enough, and I don't think anyone is more worthy than you to prove your bond with your Pokemon, your family, through the use of Mega Evolution. So take it, and put it to good use. I got something else for you, but I think you're in a hurry to watch the Grand Festival final, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we are," Ash replied, he and Brock having finished breakfast. Pushing his chair back, Ash stood up and put his jacket back on. "So, what do you plan on doing now?"

"If you wouldn't mind I thought about joining you in watching the Grand Festival. I'm sure extra support for the Princess of Hoenn is welcome," Even Brock had to laugh a little at the situation. It was not every day you interacted with a Champion like this. "While we walk, what do you plan on doing after this? Take on another League?"

"I actually planned on taking a vacation, to Alto Mare," Ash told the Hoenn Champion, Steven raising his eyebrows at the information. "I've thought about going back to Alto Mare a few times, but back then I had only one thing in mind."

"Alto Mare, you say? I've never been there," Steven said, stroking his chin a little. He remembered having read about an incident involving Team Rocket and Alto Mare. If what he had about Ash from Cynthia and Lance was true, and having some own experiences with Ash it was very likely that he had been involved in saving Alto Mare. Steven knew his fair share of legends, especially those legends concerning Hoenn. One of them, even though it wasn't a legend concerning Hoenn, was about the city of Alto Mare. There were supposedly two guardians watching over the city, and he didn't doubt that they were true. "Tell me, have you heard about the Eon Duo guarding Alto Mare?"

Ash pondered if he should simply answer the question, or tell Steven about his adventure in Alto Mare. Deciding to trust the Hoenn Champion, Ash started to speak. "I've met them once, a little more than 9 years ago. I'm sure you heard or read about the incident concerning the DMA and what nearly happened to the city," Ash began, the arena where the Grand Festival was held getting into his sight. He often put away the sadder memories of his visit to Alto Mare, those being some of his worst memories so far. At the same time he cherished the happier memories even more. They were instead some of his most treasured memories, playing with Latias in the garden being the one he valued the most. "It wasn't far before the Silver Conference, and going to Alto Mare would be our break from travelling. Then came Team Rocket, looking for the Soul Dew. They managed to destroy it, which in turn nearly spelled the end for Alto Mare. By destroying the Soul Dew they also ended up sending Latios to his death, becoming the new Soul Dew and leaving his sister, Latias, alone."

Steven knew that there was more behind it, prying wasn't something he did though, so he let it rest. Now he was sure that Ash would have use for one of his many findings, and would most likely find enjoyment in it as well. "I thank you for telling me the story. Now come, I will get us past the masses of people here. I suppose you prefer sitting among everyone else over my personal lounge?" A nod was everything he got. "Should have expected no less."

Walking up to one of the many entrances, Steven quickly said something to one of the guards, which in turn allowed them to immediately to get inside, way ahead of the rest who wanted to watch. "I'd never think I would get to choose seats like this," Brock admitted, his head turning in both directions as he took in the completely empty arena. "Not even the judges or Vivian are here."

"Those seats over there look nice," Ash pointed at a group of seats, quite high up on one of the sides. It was a bit of a walk, having to walk along the field in order to reach a set of stairs that separated the seats in two groups. Walking up the stairs, they nearly walked to the top before they took three seats. From those seats they could see the entire field, sitting somewhat higher and still able to see every small detail of the battle, compared to the seats far above them. Slowly people started entering the arena, and with them came the sound of their voices, all different type of conversations going on. "I wonder if May will see us from down there."

He got no response, instead they watched the judges and Vivian prepare themselves for the upcoming match. The arena was soon filled out completely, not a single seat that Ash could see was empty. The judges were seated and Vivian was already standing at the microphone, ready to start the show. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Vivian shouted, the arena growing quiet within a second. The excitement couldn't be missed, every single person excited at the prospect of getting to watch this match. "Welcome to the HOENN GRAND FESTIVAL!"

The response from the crowd was deafening, a lot of them even standing up as they cheered. Thankfully they had been at their fair share of similar events, and so they at least didn't fell any pain in their ears from the volume of the crowd. "They sure are excited for this." Steven muttered, not sharing the same passion for Contests as Wallace did.

"We are here today to crown this year's Top Coordinator from Hoenn! But, this isn't just a match between two coordinators who have proved to be a step above the rest. No, these two coordinators have made themselves a name worldwide over the years." Vivian slowly built the up excitement with every word she said. Everyone knew who would take to the field today, yet it didn't stop Vivian from doing her job. "Please welcome with me our two finalists, MAY MAPLE AND DREW HAYDEN!"

* * *

May couldn't get over the happiness she was feeling, standing on on the battlefield, and listening to the crowd. Even after having being to a handful of Grand Festivals, they always kept impressing her. Eight years ago, she stood on the battlefield in the old arena where the Grand Festival was held in Slateport City. Today, like eight years ago, she was facing against who probably was her biggest rival, Drew. "Coordinators, send out your two Pokemon!" Vivian shouted into the microphone, the crowd having turned silent after their introduction. She had practiced with Ash, trying two different combinations she could use. In the end she had decided on one, so without hesitating she took two pokeballs from her belt and threw them in the air. Catching them again, May smiled as her two Pokemon appeared and looked back at her, before quickly focusing on their two opponents. She had decided on using Blaziken and Venusaur, relying on their ability to control their moves and put immense power behind them. Drew had chosen to use his Absol and Flygon, the same combination that used against her in the Kanto Grand Festival. That time she used Combusken and Squirtle. She won back then. This time it could go either way. Drew had improved, as had she. "You know the rules. Whoever runs out of points first or loses both Pokemon has lost. Are both coordinators ready?" May nodded, and she saw Drew doing the same. "Get ready, begin!"

Somehow she didn't hear whatever Drew shouted and watched her Pokemon act on their own. Shaking her head rapidly, May focused on the battle. "Venusaur use Vine Whip on Absol, Blaziken use Sky Uppercut on Flygon!" Shooting out her vines, Venusaur managed to grab two of Absol's legs, which in turn prompted Flygon to try and free his partner. As soon as he tried to get close to Absol, who was getting pulled in by Venusaur, Blaziken shot forward and landing a clean hit on his jaw with Sky Uppercut.

"Flygon use Flamethrower on Venusaur!" Drew shouted, his Flygon having recovered without any problems and instead turned his attention to Venusaur. Opening his mouth, a hot stream of fire left. Reacting fast enough, Venusaur pulled in Absol, which lead to Absol taking the entire Flamethrower instead of Venusaur. A quick glance at the big screen confirmed that she was in the lead. It still didn't mean anything, not when her opponent was someone like Drew. "Flygon summon a Sandstorm and Absol hide inside it!"

Now she had a problem. The Sandstorm made it impossible for her, or her Pokemon, to see anything. Which in turn meant that Blaziken and Venusaur were completely helpless unless they noticed an attack coming fast enough. Nearly missing it, May thought she saw something move around Venusaur. "Behind you, Venusaur!" Turning her head, Venusaur shot out her vines again, once again managing to grab two of Absol's legs. "Throw him into the air and then use Petal Dance!"

Drew, not expecting anything like didn't know what to do for a short moment. Flygon, Dragon Breath on Venusaur!"

"Blaziken, ignite the petals surrounding Absol with Fire Spin!" Opening his beak, Blaziken let out the fire, hitting Absol and for a short while having burning petals spin around Absol. Once again Drew's points decreased, still not having managed to score a major hit on May's points. The crowd cheered at her display, bringing a smile to May's lips.

"Flamethrower again!" May could only watch in horror as Flygon's attack struck directly, Venusaur roaring in pain as the flames touched her body. "Absol, Water Pulse on Blaziken!"

It took another roar of pain for May to react, Blaziken on one knee as it barely dodged another Walter Pulse from Absol. "Blaziken, use Blaze Kick on Absol, Venusaur, follow up with Razor Leaf!" She had to take out one of Drew's Absol. His Flygon simply was to resistant to either Blaziken or Venusaur alone, where as Absol was rather frail and couldn't take as many hits. Which instead was made up through the sheer power behind every attack. May watched as Absol jumped out of the way of Blaziken's Blaze Kick, which opened to Venusaur's Razor Leaf. He managed to stand his ground though, giving Flygon an opening.

"Strike Venusaur with Steel Wing!" Drew shouted, Flygon shooting forwards, past Blaziken, as his wings were covered in steel. She was about to tell Blaziken to assist Venusaur but was unable to because she was blinded by a bright flash. The sandstorm had already disappeared, seemingly only being a temporary option for Drew. "Walter Pulse!"

"Dodge it!" A rather futile attempt when Blaziken couldn't see where Absol was. Shooting another glance at the scoreboard told her that Drew had forced a near draw between them. She really needed to take down one of them, just because like her own Pokemon they covered each other so well. Absol would dart around and strike whenever given the chance. Flygon would assist him in any way possible. Maybe she didn't need to take out Absol first. Even though Flygon was more durable, no Pokemon could take hit after hit forever. And without someone to cover, Absol couldn't move and attack freely anymore. "Venusaur, Petal Dance on Flygon with everything you got! Blaziken, Overheat!"

Flygon was durable, but not very fast. Which meant that Flygon had a hard time dodging the petals, standing no chance as Blaziken's Overheat hit it. "Absol, Iron Tail on Venusaur!" Drew that neither of his Pokemon stood a chance alone. They both complemented each other too well, relying completely on each other. Dashing forward, Absol flipped in the air in order to increase power behind his attack, bringing the tail down straight on Venusaur's head. A grunt of pain wasn't only response from the Pokemon, lunging towards Absol and knocking the Disaster Pokemon away. Meanwhile, Blaziken was dodging Flygon's Dragon Breath, leaping in the air to knock down the dragon with a Blaze Kick. "Now, Dragon Razor Wind to finish off Venusaur!"

"No!" May screamed, remembering the combination from the Kanto Grand Festival. Swinging his scythe, a plethora of blades were unleashed and heading for Venusaur, Flygon quickly backed the attack up with own Dragon Breath, enhancing Razor Wind's power even further. "Blaziken, Sky Uppercut on Flygon!"

Drew couldn't even blink, Blaziken dashing forward with a speed beyond what Drew thought possible. It didn't matter that Venusaur fainted, May's points falling with it, when his plan was to have an advantage over her. The attack connected cleanly, pushing Flygon further up before he fell down, unconscious. He knew that May's Blaziken was in every way stronger than Absol, he was her starter for a reason. "Blind him with Flash, then use Psycho Cut!"

Knowing that Blaziken couldn't see anything, May had to quickly come up with a way for her to help him. "Use Quick Attack to dash to the side!" Blaziken did as told, barely avoiding the incoming psychic blades. "Overheat!"

"Absol dodge-" Drew didn't even have time to issue the command as Blaziken had closed the distance before he opened his beak. There was nothing he could do help Absol. The attack struck hard, Absol fainting only a second after contact. Looking at the points, he could see that May barely finished in time. But she still won, having the higher amount of points as well. The crowd had gone silent during the last minutes of their battle, and now that it was over they had no reason to stay quiet anymore.

May was filled with joy, running to Blaziken, and nearly throwing herself at her Pokemon as she hugged him tightly. "You did great! Let me recall you so you get your well deserved rest."

* * *

"May? May!" Ash called, trying to reach his friend, Brock and Steven following him close. Getting through the masses of people wasn't an easy thing to do, and it seemed like May had just escaped their clutches. Eventually, they got away from the majority of people, which gave them ample space. "May!"

"Ash?" Finally May noticed them, turning around fully before walking towards them. As she walked up to them they could see a big on smile her face as she held the trophy, stopping as she spotted Steven. She blinked a few times, smiling sheepishly as she stood in front of the Hoenn Champion. "Mr. Stone?"

Steven laughed a little, smiling at May as he held out his hand. "I have to congratulate you on your impressive performance." Steven said, pulling his hand back after May shook it. Starting to walk again, he lead them to a more secluded café, gesturing for them to sit. They all ordered something to drink, something cold to aid them against the heat of the warm summer day. "I have to admit your performance was brilliant, but I couldn't wonder how far you would have come as a trainer."

"I don't know, I mean I could probably get something done. Compared to Ash though I'm far away from being a top trainer," May replied to the praise, looking at Ash, who only shook his head at May's words. He had always supported her, never doubting that she could do anything. "So, what got you smiling, besides my big victory?"

Ash wanted to tell her, but got interrupted as the waiter came with their refreshments. They didn't wait, instead all of them moved their refreshments to their lips as they took a big sip of their cold drinks. "I'm sure you remember me telling you about Alto Mare, right? Well, me and Brock planned on taking a vacation there and wondered if you were interested in going with us there."

There wasn't a lot of convincing needed in May's opinion, but she still decided on humoring them by sitting there in silence as she rested her chin on her hand. Ash had talked to her multiple times about Alto Mare, always smiling when telling her about the city. She had been interested since the first time, and now she was given the chance to actually go and see the city for herself. "Did you really need to ask? I would have gone with you the moment you would have told me," May would most likely follow Ash around the world if asked, like Brock and any of Ash's friends would. Given the option of following him to Alto Mare was something she wouldn't waste. "So when are we going?"

"We haven't planned anything yet, but I suppose as soon as possible, which most likely means tomorrow. We planned on heading home first, and then go to Alto Mare. So we'll probably get to Alto Mare in two or three days depending on how much we are willing to pay to get back home," Ash explained, taking another sip of his drink. Pikachu had been awfully quiet in his lap, only reacting if he scratched her behind her ear. "How about this? We head to Slateport from here and from there we separate? You go back to Petalburg, and me and Brock will go back to Kanto. Then we meet in Vermillion to take a ship to Alto Mare."

Brock nodded, always being the one who planned things like these. It was nice for once when someone else did it for him. "I agree on that. We should probably get tickets to Slateport, seeing as the ships stop going after a certain time."

"Ash, there's something I need to talk to you about," Steven interrupted their planning, taking a last sip of his drink before standing up. "Do you mind if we talk alone for a while?"

Usually Ash would prefer staying with his friends, but something in Steven's voice told him that there was no arguing to be done. "Alright, lead the way," Ash said, following Steven, and shooting a quick glance over his shoulder. Pikachu had quickly moved herself to his shoulder, taking her usual spot as Ash walked behind Steven. Eventually they reached a spot far enough away from any stray wanderers, Steven turning around. "So, what was so important?"

Crossing his arms, Steven looked out at the ocean, the island of Sootopolis visible from where he was standing. "Tell me, is it true that you're Unova's Hero of Truth? I don't have much to go on, but I know for sure that the White Stone no longer resides in Unova."

"I suppose I can tell you. Yes, I'm what Unova calls the Hero of Truth," Ash admitted, pulling out a pokeball hanging around his neck. Steven wasn't sure what to think of that. "Yes, it is what you believe it to be. I was what somewhat surprised when in the middle of the night Reshiram landed right in front of me and asked if she could come with me."

"I see. I always wondered what a hero chosen by the legends would look like," Steven chuckled at his own comment, before pulling some out of his pocket again. He held it up in the air, the sun reflecting off the stone. Ash could only stare at the stone. It was beyond beautiful in his mind. He barely didn't react in time though as Steven through the stone at him. Looking at it carefully, Ash continued to admire the stone. "I'm sure you recognize what that is. I've been looking for Mega Stones all over Hoenn, and I've found a few of the same kind. But that one I have never seen before, and no one has found an identical one. When you told me about Alto Mare and its guardians and how you planned on going back there, I felt like this was something you maybe could put to use. It's known as a Latiasite, probably one of the rarest Mega Stones in the world."

"And you give it to me?" Ash asked, not sure if he should laugh or not. "I'm an ordinary trainer. That I got chosen by Reshiram as her hero was shocking to me. That you gave me a Mega Bracelet was also surprising, and now you're giving me a Latiasite. I've had a knack for getting involved in things I probably shouldn't. I'm not sure if I should have all of this."

"You don't think you should have it? I could ask any Champion and they would agree with me that you definitely should have them. I thought about asking if I could see Reshiram, but I'm no Chosen One so I'll pass on it," Steven countered, staring at Ash. Eventually Ash looked away and at the sky. He joined Ash as well, not sure if he imagined it or if he actually saw a serpent looking creature fly across the sky. "Come, let's head back. I'll have to take my leave soon anyway."

* * *

After seeing the Hoenn Champion off, they decided to get their tickets to Slateport. They still had enough time to eat, and they would arrive in Slateport early next morning. Sitting at a table, Ash played with the pokeball around his neck. It had been a while since he talked to Reshiram, but he would have to most likely wait until he got back to Pallet Town before he could do that. "So, how long will it take for us to get to Slateport?"

"We should be there around 7.00 tomorrow, and from there we can fetch trips to our homes," Brock reminded him, leaning back in his chair after finishing his plate. They still had 30 minutes until they could start boarding the ship, so there was no need to go there already. We continued to sit there before Brock spoke up again. "You know, it will be nice for once to just go somewhere and have nothing to worry about. Instead of always having to go somewhere and do something."

Neither of them could disagree with Brock's statement, even if Ash could relate to it more. He had only started relaxing after Unova, and even then he still kept up with his training and such. "I will be sure to enjoy this trip. We didn't even stay there for that long the last time we where there. This time I'll make sure to explore the city. It's truly a wonderful place."

Looking at her watch, May noticed that the 30 minutes they had had gone by rather fast.

"Shouldn't we be going?" May received surprised looks from Ash and Brock, who after checking the time quickly pushed their chairs backward. Missing the ship now would be far for pleasant, forcing them stay another day before they could get another that would take them to Slateport. They started to run towards the docks to make sure they wouldn't miss their ship, all of them sighing in relief as they saw that the ship was still docked. They returned to walking, but kept a high pace until they were at the entrance to the ship. Showing their tickets, they were allowed onboard the ship. It wasn't a small ship by any means. It was a big cruiser, most likely only docking in Slateport temporarily before heading wherever it went. They all looked at their tickets to find out which rooms they had gotten. "I got 502."

"It seems like me and Brock got 505," Ash said, following the signs to find their rooms. Eventually they stood outside the doors to the rooms. "We'll see you tomorrow May."

Opening their door, Ash went in first with Brock following behind him. The room they had gotten wasn't that different from their hotel room, which meant it was big. Two beds were placed in one corner each, with two nightstands next to them. There was a big wardrobe, with more than enough space for whatever they wanted to put in there, a minibar and a tv. Walking across the room, Ash reached the balcony and opened the door which allowed them to walk outside and enjoy the evening breeze. "Life's great."

Brock had often wondered how true those words were. In the end he had to agree with them, the experiences he had in his short life so far had been for the majority great. They continued to stand there, looking out over the ocean like they had done less than a day ago. "It sure is, even though there are some points I could point out and say they aren't great. But, in the big picture they don't matter," He pushed himself back and opened the door again, holding it up until Ash decided to come too. They both sat on their respective bed, staring at the wall in front of them.

"I wonder if Alto Mare has changed. It has been 11 years after all," Ash thought out loud, a thought that Brock had entertained as well. Most things change, especially over a large time span. He and Ash had many similar discussions; if things changed, if people would stay the same, what they could have done differently and so on.

"Let's just call quits for today. We got a lot of travelling to do tomorrow." Brock suggested, moving up the bed so he could lie on his pillow. Turning off his light, he looked over at Ash who still sat on the edge. "Come on, we got a long day ahead of us."

With that Ash wordlessly positioned himself so he could lie down. "Good night, Brock.

"Good night, Ash."

* * *

 **You can expect Chapter 2 by the end of next week. I hope this was to your enjoyment, and tell me what you thought. Next chapter will only focus on Latias, and I will continue jumping for the next two chapters most likely. I'm still not 100 % set on Ash's team, so if you got suggestions you're free to leave them. Reshiram and Ash being the Hero of Truth will be expanded on in the later chapters. Also, there's still a sequel planned after this story. So, if you got something to say please leave a review and I will see you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go, Chapter 2 is up. It's a bit shorter than Chapter 1, but it would just have been a drag else. I promise, next chapter will be more exciting. Also, writing this over 5 days sucks when you're sick 4 of them. If you got any question regarding Latias or her backstory, ask away through a review or a pm. As always, read and enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"What is it, Lily?" Latias asked, a young Latias carefully approaching her. It had been nine years since the death of her brother and Ash's departure. He had told her that he would come back, and she didn't doubt him, but there had never been a mention of when. Seven years ago, a group of Latis had appeared, Lily and her brother Leo being two of them. She had come to enjoy their company the most of the Latis, their being a total of eight of them now, including her. She had grown rather fond of Lily, teaching the young Latias a lot of things. Sadly, she couldn't say that she liked all the Latis the same as she liked Lily and Leo. "So, what brings you here this early?"

Lily shifted a little, clearly looking uncomfortable as she floated next to her elder. She and Leo had been a lot like her and Latios, having no parents in their life and instead relying on each other. "You looked bothered by something, and I wondered if you would like to speak about it," Lily explained, lowering her head a little as she waited for a response. Over the seven years since the first appeared, Lily and Leo had flourished under her wings, being extremely young and without parents. As it would have, she ended up being a sort of parent figure for them, like Latios had been for her. "Is it about that human again?"

Before Latias could reply, a Latios approached them, wearing an annoyed expression. "Lily, you know that you shouldn't ask things that don't concern you in the least!" Leo once again couldn't believe his sister. He had told her multiple times that she just couldn't butt in wherever she wanted,not everyone would accept that. Thankfully Latias never complained about it, a sigh the only sign that she maybe got annoyed sometimes. "Forgive my sister."

"Stop it, Leo. Your sister has a right to worry. After all, you're the closest to family that I got besides Bianca and Lorenzo," Latias softly scolded the younger Latios. Seeing that he accepted her words, she turned her attention back to Lily. "But yes, it is about that 'human' again."

Lily giggled a little. Something that only she and Leo knew of the Latis in Alto Mare was that Latias had a crush on a human, something that interested her a lot. "Can't you tell us something about him? What's so great that you got a crush on him?" Lily asked, looking at her with big eyes. Unable to stop herself, Latias turned away from her and said nothing for a while. It didn't take long until Lily ran out of patience. "You got to tell me, please!"

If she wouldn't have known better, Latias could have thought that Lily as a younger version of herself. She liked to play, she never gave up and she was childish. Deciding to humor the younger Latias, she tried to look like was a thinking, putting one paw on her chin. "You really want to know, right?" She didn't need to ask, a very eager nod coming from Lily, and Leo didn't look like he really cared. But Latias knew that he always was interested in her stories and the sort. "Did I ever tell you about the savior of Alto Mare?"

Both siblings shook their heads, eagerly waiting for her to tell them. "You always told us the story about how your brother sacrificed yourself, so isn't he the savior of Alto Mare?" Lily asked, her brother wondering the same thing. The story of how two humans stole the Soul Dew and managed to destroy it was a story every Lati living in Alto Mare knew.

Latias had never told anyone of Ash's involvement, only saying that her brother died in order to save his home. "Let me start then by telling you about this 'human'. I don't think I have ever met a more selfless person than him. He's a person that any Pokemon can bond to, and he's one of the kindest persons I've ever met.," The siblings were listening intensely, waiting for Latias to continue. "I don't know if it was pure coincidence or something else, but nine years ago I met Ash. Whatever it was, somehow he captured my attention."

"Oh, did you fall in love with him on first sight?" Lily hadn't intended to ask that loud, and hid her blushing face in her paws. Watching her, Leo chuckled before he nudged his sister with his head. "I'm sorry!"

Latias shook her head, and decided to lie down on the ground instead of floating. "No harm done. But no, I didn't fall in love with him on first sight. He did catch my interest, which ended up with me leading him into the garden," Latias continued, fondly remembering how she had played with Ash and Latios in the garden. "But then came Team Rocket, looking for the Soul Dew. They tried to capture me and Latios, but I managed to escape. I went to Ash for help, and together we freed my brother. The Soul Dew didn't survive the ordeal, and neither did my brother."

"So, what about Ash?!" Lily couldn't stop herself. The story about the Soul Dew and what had happened to Latios was well known. But never had there been a mention of Ash. Moving closer to Latias, she carefully poked her with her arm, earning a weak groan from her. "You can't just stop like that!"

Opening her eyes, Latias stared annoyed at Lily. She knew that she had been like that a few years ago, but that didn't mean she had to let someone else be like that. Shaking herself a little, Latias started to float again. "He left and chased his dream. I asked him if he would visit again, but nine years are a long time," It was more wishful thinking than anything, but after seeing Ash in the Evergrande Conference the last few days, her wishful thinking had grown stronger again. Seeing him lose had broken her heart, especially after how well he had done through the entire conference. "I just sometimes wish he would come back. It would also force Zelgius to finally back off."

At the mention of the golden Latios the siblings winced. Latias was patient and kind with every single one of them, except Zelgius. The golden Latios was the only who was around the same age as Latias, and seeing how she was their 'leader' he had started hitting on her. Latias had told him to stop multiple times, but he wouldn't listen. He was arrogant, so full of himself, making everyone wonder why she never simply hit him or did something similar. Everyone could see that she wasn't interested, even though she never specified if asked why. Even if he was arrogant and full himself, Zelgius was what most Latias would look for in a mate. He was strong, good looking and confident. If you overlooked his arrogance and how highly he thought of himself you couldn't go wrong with choosing him, or getting chosen by him. "We wish we could help you, but he's older than us. And if he doesn't listen to you, so why should he even listen to us?" Lily blinked a few times as she heard a growl coming from her left. "Brother, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just annoyed by Zelgius," Leo replied, looking away as Latias glared at him. It was something he admired in her. No matter what anyone did, so long it wasn't something serious, she would let it go. "Ugh, I've to do something! Lily, want to take a fly with me?"

"Latias!" A new voice called, making the decision if she should go or a lot easier. As much as they had nothing against humans, they still preferred to not interact with them more than needed. Even if Bianca possibly could be an exception. "Latias, where are you?!"

'I'm here!' Latias called back, having to resort to telepathy if she wanted to talk to Bianca. Before she could say anything, the siblings were gone and she was left alone. 'Bianca!'

Walking deeper into the garden, Bianca carefully avoided the sleeping Latis. Thankfully none of them, except one, disliked her and a few even liked her and wanted to play with if given the chance. The rest simply didn't care, and so long Latias allowed her to be here they would allow her as well. Eventually she reached what could be considered Latias' 'room', which consisted of the biggest tree in the garden, and the surrounding area. Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find, and so Bianca increased her speed until she could spot her friend. "What do you say about going into the city today and having some fun?"

It wasn't that often that she went into the city, except on patrols, so Latias didn't hesitate to take up Bianca on her offer. She loved exploring her home, even if she knew most of the city inside and out, seeing all kinds of people was an enjoyment in its own. And, she could maybe prank some people. 'I would love to! Did you have something special in mind?'

Bianca was so happy to see Latias laugh like that again. Since Ash had left, and the the other Latias had settled down, she had been a lot more stuck up. She still smiled and had fun, but it wasn't the same as before. "I didn't have anything special in mind, besides lunch together. But how about we go down to the docks? Maybe we could draw something while we're there. Or we could maybe visit the museum or simply walk around the city if would prefer that."

What would she like to do? Eating together with Bianca was a given, but what else? Most likely goings to the docks, and watch and draw the different people there. She couldn't forget pranking someone either. 'Let's go!' Focusing, Latias slowly transformed herself into her human form, which still was an exact copy of Bianca. Maybe she should change at least something on her alternate form. Taking Bianca's hand, she started dragging her through the garden, weaving through the sleeping Latis at they made for the exit. Walking through the wall, they soon found themselves in one of the many alleys in Alto Mare. Letting go of Bianca's hand, Latias stared at the sky. She had really missed going out with Bianca like this, something she hadn't for months. 'So what do we do first?'

"How about we simply take a walk and then get everything we need to draw some nice pictures?" Bianca suggested, Latias nodding in agreement at the idea. They were about to round a corner, when Latias was alerted by another presence. Like Leo she could only growl in annoyance, something which shocked Bianca to hear. She practically never heard Latias growl. "Is everything okay?"

'Everything will be alright in just a moment, once I get rid of him.' Latias replied, turning around to stare at golden Latios floating just outside the wall. He didn't even bother to transform outside of the garden. She really wished she could knock him down a peg, in one way or another. Approaching the golden Latios, Latias didn't stop growling until she was right in front of him. He wouldn't stop trying until she had a mate, and that wouldn't happen unless a miracle occurred. And until that happened, she wouldn't stop to mock him. "What do you want now, Zelgius? Are you worried that I might get a bruise by hitting a wall?"

"Is it wrong to be worried about you? What if something should happen while you're in the city?" Zelgius countered, not hesitating to mock her back. Latias knew that under his arrogance, Zelgius was a rather kind Latios. But he didn't want to show it, instead preferring to come off as arrogant. It was clear that he cared for, but his advances slowly got annoying. She could only wish for them to stop. "You're fully aware that I'm the strongest of us and I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. So, if you would please leave me and my friend alone. I planned on spending the day with her."

Zelgius stared at her for a few seconds before he turned around, heading back into the garden. Bianca blinked a few times, still looking at where Zelgius had been floating only a few seconds ago. "What was that about? More importantly, who was that even?"

'That was Zelgius, one of the Latios living in the garden,' Latias started to explain, taking Bianca by her hand and started to lead her out into the city. It didn't take them long to reach one of the bigger streets, people already filling it early in the morning. Latias always enjoyed watching the people of Alto Mare, watching them go along with their daily lives. She couldn't stop herself from envying the many couples she saw in the city, often wishing to have someone who loved her as much as she loved him. 'He has since he got here hit on me, and it's something that is slowly starting to get on my nerves. Sadly, there's nothing I can really do. Except if I would give him proof that I had someone who is interested in me, as a mate, besides him. And I don't have that, so I have no way to stop him. Besides resorting to force.'

Bianca knew that Latias would never resort to force, even if she knew how strong her friend was. Just letting it slide was better than fighting someone over something for her. "On the topic of mate, isn't there one you had in mind?"

'Bianca!' Latias exclaimed shocked, blushing heavily at Bianca's words. Bianca had known, not long after Ash left, that Latias had a very big crush on him. They often talked about it, especially after watching Ash in one of the conferences he took part in. It hadn't helped that she started dreaming of Ash, and intimidate moments between them. 'You promised you wouldn't mention that again!'

"Do you mean that dream you had?" Bianca asked cheekily, running a bit ahead to create some distance between herself and Latias. Sticking her tongue out, knowing that it was somewhat childish, Bianca carefully kept herself out of Latias' reach. "The one where you clumsily bumped like two moths as your lips touch?"

Latias was unable to stop herself, a squeak coming out from her mouth in Pokemon tongue, quickly placing her hands over her mouth as she looked around. No one had noticed it thankfully. Before it was only a normal blush, but now she was blushing all the way up to her ears, Bianca laughing at her. 'It's not nice of you to bring that up!' She couldn't deny Bianca's words though, because that was exactly what she had dreamt. For some reason, once she still didn't remember, she had told her best friend about her dream, which lead to her getting teased an entire weak. After that she would only bring it up sometimes for fun, getting a kick out of seeing her so embarrassed. 'I wish I had something I could tease you about. Isn't there anyone out there you are interested in?'

"There's no one yet, and I'm not interested in having a relationship either. So no, you can't tease me about that," Bianca replied, finally stopping as they had reached the water. Joining her, they both stood there and looked at the water, even spotting a few ships in the distance some leaving and some coming. "What should we do first? Draw something, visit the museum, or just take a walk?"

'Have you eaten breakfast yet? Because I haven't and I'm hungry,' Latias responded, looking at Bianca with pleading eyes. That was also something Latias had learnt. Using her puppy eyes was very effective on Bianca. Eventually Bianca nodded, making Latias immediately look around for a good place to eat breakfast. 'Do you know of a good place where we can eat breakfast?'

That was another advantage of knowing Alto Mare inside out, you knew nearly everything about the city. "There are a few good places, and some of them lay along the docks," Bianca said, starting to walk in one direction with Latias next to her. "Just pick one you think you like and we can eat there."

With those words, Latias started sprinting lightly and looking at each place where they could eat breakfast. It didn't take her long to find somewhere that she liked. "This place looks nice!"

Bianca knew the owner personally, having being here multiple times, and greeted him happily as she entered. "Alonso!" It didn't take long before the owner appeared, wearing an apron, as he tried to find the owner of the voice. Walking up to the counter, Alonso didn't have a hard time recognizing the owner of the voice. "Hi there Alonso."

"Bianca, I'm glad to see you're honoring me with your presence again," Alonso greeted her, walking around the counter to give her a light hug. It had been a few years since she first had entered the restaurant, and since then she often visited weekly. Leading them to a table at the window with a great view of the docks, he each handed them a menu. Bianca had come to like what they served, and had no problems with ordering multiple times if she felt she was hungry. "Tell me Bianca, who is your friend? She looks awfully similar to you."

For the few times when someone commented on how Latias looked she always used the same explanation, and there was no way anyone could prove her wrong. "She's my twin sister, having come all the way from Olivine to visit us," Bianca told him, Alonso smiling at Latias. "Sadly she can't speak, which leaves me to do the talking for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Alonso said, walking back behind the counter, and looking at them smiling. "Just call for me when you're ready to order!"

Looking through the menu, Bianca had a hard time deciding what she wanted with there being so many things that she liked, and probably wanted. Deciding to keep it simple, Bianca decided on a toast with jam, a cornetto and a cappuccino. Even though it was nothing special, it would be more than satisfying to eat. "Have you decided?" Then it hit her, Latias couldn't read. She laughed as Latias tried to make it look like she was actually looking through the menu instead of simply staring at it, not knowing what to make of it. "I'm sorry that I forget you couldn't read."

That had been rarely been a problem, but the times it was, it was rather funny. One time Latias wanted to go into a shop, which had closed and put a sign out. As she tried to open the door, which was locked, she wondered why it was closed. It was then that Bianca pointed at the sign, explaining that it said 'closed'. 'Stop laughing Bianca, you're embarrassing me!' Saying nothing for a while, Latias soon broke the silence. 'Can I order the same as you did?'

"I suppose so, but don't complain later that you didn't like it," Bianca responded, a thought appearing in her mind. Better to ask now than later. "You can drink anything containing caffeine, right?"

Thinking for a while, Bianca wondered what the answer would be. She didn't want a hyperactive, or even more active than usual, Latias walking through the city. 'I think I tried it once while I was in the city alone,' Latias answered, getting a questioning look from Bianca. No doubt she wondered how she had ordered something containing caffeine without being able to talk. 'They had pictures, alright?!'

"Alonso!" Bianca called, catching the owner's attention, who quickly appeared, from the kitchen, at their table. "We're ready to order."

Looking at both of them he nodded, glancing at Latias. "So, what will it be for the two wonderful ladies?

Laughing lightly, Bianca shot Latias a look, nodding in response. "We'll both have a toast with jam, a cornetto and a cappuccino," Making sure he had it remembered, he wondered if they wanted more. "No, I don't want anything else today Alonso. Maybe another time."

"I'll be right back." Alonso said, once again leaving them alone to their thoughts.

"Tell me, have you had anymore interesting dreams lately?" She had blushed the first time it was mentioned. She blushed even more the second time, and the third time she got beet red. Bianca could barely hold back her laughter at sight, enjoying herself far too much to even bother to care. She shouldn't do this to her best friend, but she couldn't stop herself from doing it. "So, did you have any more of these dreams?"

'Bianca, please stop mentioning anything related to it!' Latias screamed through telepathy, hiding her face in her hands, Bianca's laughter ringing in her ears.

* * *

Breakfast had been most enjoyable to Latias, except Bianca's teasing, and she did not regret choosing the same as Bianca had. Even though caffeine wasn't bad for her, it did make her a bit more active, much to the chagrin of Bianca, and the delight of Latias. 'I feel great after that!' Latias exclaimed happily, dragging along Bianca by her hand in the direction of her house. They had decided that should draw something, but in order to do that they needed the right tools. Not being suited for outdoor, and especially not for other Latis, Latias decided to keep her drawing things together with Bianca's. She didn't even want to know what some of the other Latis would possibly do with it. 'Do you have any special place in mind where she could to find motives to draw?'

Thinking about where they could find the most interesting motives, Bianca only had a few in mind. "Well, either we go to the park, the Pokemon Center and the battlefield, or back to the docks," Bianca personally didn't like the battlefields, even though the Pokemon Center was passable if not to many injured Pokemon were there. She had been alone to the park last time, so she hoped that Latias would choose the docks. "I went to the park last time, and we were at the Pokemon Center last time we actually got together to draw."

'Let's go to the docks then, once we got everything we need,' Latias accepted, having let go of Bianca's hand as they got closer to her house. As they reached the door, Latias watched Bianca pull the keys out of her pocket, opening the door and letting them inside. Lorenzo wouldn't be home for many hours to come, so the house was quiet as they headed for the stairs. 'You know, I've been thinking of something. What if I would alter my form so that I wouldn't look like an exact copy of you? I mean just a few things, like my and clothes or something like that.'

Walking up the stairs, they quickly entered Bianca's room and started picking up their things. It wasn't that much, not with them wanting to sit outside and draw multiple things. "That's not a terrible idea, you know," Bianca replied, holding everything she needed. She was about to leave her room before she stopped and turned to face Latias, who was also holding all her things. "What if I draw you now, and if you like the new look you can use it?"

Latias was excited the prospect, nodding eagerly as they put their things back down and each of them sat down in a chair. 'And what if I don't like the way you will draw me?' It wasn't a big worry, instead more of a light joke. Latias knew that the way Bianca would draw never would be bad. Maybe it wouldn't be exactly the way she would like it, but it would most likely be a very good start. From there she could simply suggest changes as she saw fit. 'What're you waiting for? Start drawing me!'

Not wanting to disappoint, Bianca quickly started to draw her friend, or herself for that matter. Drawing herself, Bianca instead imagined that she had drawn Latias and thought about what she would change. Latias had said that it shouldn't be anything big, only some small things so they would be different. It didn't take her long to make some minor adjustments, erasing parts of how she looked and adding new things. "I'm done," Bianca spoke up, looking at her finished work. "Here, take a look."

Carefully taking it out of Bianca's hands, Latias looked at it. She surely hadn't imagined anything like it, but in her mind Bianca had done a far better job of changing her look than she would have ever done. Like she wanted, the changes were subtle, but still noticeable enough. Obviously Bianca had drawn her without the beret, which besides her eyes had been the only way to tell them apart. Now though, Bianca had given her long hair. Her hairstyle was still similar to her wings. Besides that she only changed her shirt, now being sleeveless and having straps instead. 'This is amazing. Thank so you much.'

Bianca wasn't so sure if she deserved that much praise for something simple. In the end she took it non the less, watching as Latias continued to stare at her new form fascinated. Tilting her head a little, Latias eventually put the drawing carefully on the ground as she stood up, stretching a little. "Are you going to try it now or what?"

Nodding her head eagerly, Latias took a last look at the drawing, before closing her eyes. Soon she was surrounded by a weak golden glow, her hair growing longer until it reached her back and her shirt loosing its sleeves in favor of straps. Not being able to see herself, Latias looked expectantly at Bianca, who stared in awe at her friend's change. On paper she looked great. In reality she looked stunning. Latias wasn't sure why Bianca was staring like that, considering she had drawn her. 'How do I look?'

"I don't what you did Latias, but you look incredible!" Bianca exclaimed, dragging her friend to the mirror in her room. She had been satisfied with the way she drawn her friend. Whatever Latias had done though during the transformation had made her look far better than what she had drawn. Standing in front of the mirror, Latias spun around a few times, admiring her new look. "I know for sure that you didn't look this beautiful on paper, so what did you do?"

'I did nothing special! I just imagined that I wanted to look like the way you drew me,' Latias responded, doing another twirl in front of the mirror. She sure liked her new look, a lot. 'At least I think I did nothing special.'

Picking up her equipment again, Bianca headed for the door, before waiting for Latias to do the same. In less than a minute they back outside her house, taking the same way they came back. "I think you should look out for many will be staring at you. You did something that makes you look breathtaking for anyone looking at you," Bianca pointed out, sometimes having to sneak glances herself at Latias. "Wouldn't it be great if Ash could see you now?"

'I would be too embarrassed to meet him like this,' Walking behind Bianca through the small alley, they soon found themselves on one of the bigger streets, which would lead them to the docks. She usually wasn't that self conscious. With Ash it was a different story. 'Do you know how he would look at me?'

"You can ignore everyone else that's staring at you right now, but if Ash would look at you, you would prefer to die in embarrassment?" Bianca questioned, not sure what to think about that. Then a brilliant idea popped into her mind. She laughed quietly to herself, something which Latias picked up immediately. Shooting her a questioning look, Bianca said nothing for a while, watching Latias growing impatient. "What would you say if I were to call Ash, and ask him if he would like to come and visit us?"

'Bwuh?!' Latias stopped in her tracks, shock written all over her face. Bianca kept walking, know that Latias was still following her. Like before, Bianca turned around while still walking, grinning cheekily at Latias. She couldn't resist sticking her tongue out either. 'You definitely won't do that!

Laughing at her friend's blushing expression, Bianca glanced backwards to made sure she walked into no one, while at the same time noticing how many people stared at Latias. Trying to stay out of Latias' reach, Bianca didn't relent. "And who's going to stop me? You? I could do it when you're asleep, unless you plan on keeping an eye every hour of the day."

'I got others who can do that for me!' Latias retorted, this time she being the one to stick her tongue out. They kept bickering back and fort, eventually reaching the docks. Quite a few ships were docked, and a large mass of people were moving, either having arrived or preparing to depart. Soon they found a bench which gave them the full view of all the people and ocean, the perfect motives to draw. 'There're so many things to draw. Where do we even start?'

"Good question," Bianca responded, putting down everything she didn't need, before she took in the sights. She had to admit that we're quite a few different things happening down there. Sailors were working, multiple couples walked around, children playing, Pokemon and just the ordinary person. "I think I'll start with the kids playing with their Pokemon over there."

Trying to see where Bianca was pointing, Latias soon spotted it. 'If you will draw them, I'll draw the water and flying Pokemon over there.'

* * *

"I hope you enjoyed today, Latias," Bianca said, having drawn different things for multiple hours, skipping lunch as well in favor of continuing to draw. By the time they were done it was already late in the evening, eating dinner together and walking through the city in the moonlight. They had probably gotten a handful of drawings, and sometimes she was envious about Latias' ability to see every single detail, even at a bigger distance. "Hey, would you like staying with me tonight? I'm sure grandpa wouldn't mind if I asked."

'You really think?' Latias asked, feeling excited at he prospect of having a sort of sleepover with Bianca again. She hadn't done that for years, and it was something she used to very often before. It was something they used to do every week, but after Latios' death, and the arrival of the other Latis, she simply found herself out of time to do it. Today though, she wouldn't care about the other Latis, only about herself instead. 'It has been so long since I've done that!'

"Then let's go, this will be our first sleepover in eight years!" Bianca exclaimed excitedly, dragging Latias through the door she had just opened. Most of the lights in the house were turned off, except one was burning. Sitting in the kitchen with a newspaper in his hands, Lorenzo looked up as his granddaughter entered, her best friend directly behind her. It had been a few months since he last seen Latias. "Hello grandpa."

"How did you enjoy your day together?" Lorenzo asked, happy to see his granddaughter smiling so much. She always spent time with Latias, rarely though an entire day, and having that much fun as well. "I see you managed to draw a handful of drawings. Maybe you could leave them here, and I could take a look at them. Yes, it's also alright if Latias stays here for the night."

An even bigger bigger smile spread over her lips as she walked up to her grandfather and hugged him. "Thanks a lot grandpa," Bianca said, leading Latias in the direction of the stairs. Starting to climb the stairs, Bianca stopped. "Goodnight!"

'Is it much of a sleepover if I'm too tired to stay awake?' Latias wondered, Bianca giggling slightly at her comment. Last time she stayed with Bianca, they had spent hours talking quietly about all kinds of things. She had enjoyed herself immensely that time. 'Do you still have the sleeping ag lying under your bed?'

"It should still be there," Bianca nearly shouted back, already in the bathroom, making herself ready to go to bed. Walking into Bianca's room, Latias crouched down to look under the bed. Not able to see anything, she started trying to feel it with her hand. Finding it after a moment, Latias carefully pulled it out. Shaking it a few times and having to turn away with all the dust flying around, she put it down next to the bed so Bianca still could reach her own bed without having to walk over her. Lying down, Latias transformed herself back to her true form, and turning onto her stomach while waiting for Bianca. Not before long, her friend appeared in the room and closed the door behind her. "Don't think you can only sleep here and then leave tomorrow. No way. You'll stay for breakfast and then we'll have some fun. Then we'll return to the garden."

Sighing in defeat, even if it was only for fun, Latias closed her eyes. 'If you say so. Goodnight Bianca.'

Turning the last light off, Bianca also lay down, closing her eyes. "Goodnight Latias."

* * *

 **I'm not sure if the ending is too abrupt or not. I will go over Latias' dreams in later chapters, mostly because they'll fun to write. Also, there will be Altoshipping moments from Chapter 4 and onwards most likely. Except next chapter somewhere next week. I'm still looking for a beta-reader, so if someone feels they're up to it, please make yourself known! So, I'll see you next time. Have a good day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This took me longer than I thought, but here it is. I originally planned to cut it earlier, then I decided that wanted to finally get to the good parts. So, here you are. This chapter also introduces two new characters, who will play bigger roles later on. Also, someone pointed out in a review that Pikachu is male, and I know. But I wanted to portray her as a female, else I feel like Pikachu becomes a copy of Ash. So, read and enjoy (and if you liked it, leave a review)!**

 **PS: The ~ signifies Reshiram's singsongy voice.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"This is goodbye I suppose," Ash said, Brock standing next to him. They would together take the fastest available ferry back to Kanto while May took a regular one, considering it was only a few hours of travel with one to Petalburg City. Ash always disliked saying goodbye to friends, even if this time it wasn't really a goodbye. "Well, a short goodbye. We'll see you in Vermillion, alright?"

"Sure we will!" May replied happily, looking at her watch. Her ferry would leave only a few minutes after their's, so she still had time before she needed to board her ferry back to Petalburg. This would be the first time for her where she would be going somewhere as a regular person, and not as a coordinator. Like Ash she had travelled and competed nonstop over the years. She had to admit that Ash had been a rather extreme case compared to her, or anyone she knew who competed in one of the regions. "I'm really excited for Alto Mare!"

"We all are. Alright, we'll see you later today hopefully," With those words, Ash and Brock turned around, Brock saying his goodbyes to May as well. This was the first time he would ever travel with a ferry that fast. What would normally take over a day would be reduced to less than two hours. "Well, it's just us two again, and Pikachu. It's always us, isn't it?"

This ferry had no rooms they could stay in compared to the boat they travelled on last time. It clearly wasn't mean to be stayed for more than a few hours at best. They were though multiple resting rooms instead, with a tv, a table and a minibar that could be occupied by anybody at their own leisure. "That's one of the few constants in your trainer career besides Pikachu. It's been always us, except for your trip through Unova," Walking up to the front of the ship, Brock leaned over the railing, the ship slowly starting to move. It wouldn't take long for them to reach Vermillion, and from there they would fly on Pidgeot to get back home. "I just remembered that no one's at the gym currently, besides Forrest, so I'm simply going to pack everything I need, Then we can directly go to Pallet Town and save quite a bit of time."

Making sure no one was around to hear them before he spoke, Ash quickly touched the pokeball hanging around his neck. "I wish I could release Reshiram, but she would attract so much attention that it would be nearly impossible to release her before we to Pallet Town," Touching the pokeball again, Ash couldn't stop himself from grinning as he was able to hear Reshiram's singsong voice. "I know you want to get out of your pokeball. I also know what would happen if anyone besides me, Pikachu and the others or Brock would see you outside of your pokeball. And you know that too."

Chuckling at the conversation between Ash and Reshiram, Brock thought back to the few times he had interacted with the dragoness. He had met her the first time back in Pallet Town, the day he and Ash went to Hoenn. It was an unique experience to say the least. Reshiram smothered her trainer with affection, asking him if everything was alright, what he had done throughout the day, when she would see him again and so on. He would probably describe her as a sort of motherly figure for Ash, and even though Ash could talk with Reshiram through the pokeball it still wasn't the same thing. Her 'voice' was also a joy to listen to, being rather singsongy and heaven to one's ears. "Hey, what do you say about occupying one of these nice rooms and plunder the minibar there?"

"That's not a terrible idea you know," Taking Brock's suggestion to heart, they walked back inside, trying to find a free room. Finding one, Ash opened the door, sitting down on the couch, a window to their right. Opening the minibar, they found multiple multiple cans of Coca Cola and beer and some bottles of sparkling water. Trying to decide what to pick, Brock beat him to it and took a bottle of sparkling water. He was above 18, which meant he could drink beer, but it was something he didn't do that often. He avoided alcohol for the most part, sometimes indulging himself in drinking some. Taking a can of coca cola, Ash leant back and opened his can in sync with Brock opening his bottle. "I wonder how happy mom will be to hear that I'm back home and not even an hour after I return I leave again. At least it's not an adventure this time, so she doesn't need to worry as much."

"She's your mother, so she was every right to worry," Brock responded, staring out at the ocean and watching the large amount of water-type Pokemon. Being Ash's senior by five years, he had always been the caretaker of sorts. Only when they were on the Orange Islands and Ash went to Unova he didn't fulfill that role. "I'll explain to her that you got me, as usual throughout the years we've known each other."

'You got me as well, little one~' Reshiram's singsong voice could be heard in their minds, telepathy being her only way of communication when inside the pokeball. It was also her choice outside, else neither of them would understand anything she said.

Leaning forward, Ash managed to grab the tv-remote and turn on the tv. To their surprise there was an interview going on, with Steven Stone of all people. "Mr. Stone, what did you think about this year's conference?"

"I've seen many conferences, but this was one of the better ones we have had in a while. I was especially impressed with this year's runner-up, Ash Ketchum." Steven replied calmly, seemingly being used to interviews. He had never been praised in such a manner, by anyone. It certainly wouldn't hurt him in any sort of way.

"That's all from us for today. Thank you very much Mr. Stone for taking time for this interview. Have a pleasant continued day." With that the screen changed back to their regular studio. Lowering the volume, Ash put the remote back on the small table which the tv and leant back on the couch.

"Brock, I've been thinking," Ash spoke up, Pikachu's ear perking up at her trainer's words. After barely losing, only a day ago, Ash had put a lot of thought into what he wanted to do with career. Travelling around the world was great and all, but it wasn't something he wanted to do forever. "Do you think I'm ready to take on the Elite Four, back at home?"

Blinking a few times, Brock had to think about what to say this time. "You're ready, that's for sure. Just will you be able to keep it up against five in a row if being the Champion is your final goal?" It was a good question that had to be asked. Brock didn't doubt Ash's ability to take down any of the Elite Four, or even keep Lance on his toes, but to take down all five in a row, with only a single day in between each battle? That was a difficult task. He knew though that Ash would challenge them without going through the Silver Conference first, something only the most skilled trainers could do. It required a multitude of achievements to prove consistently that you were on the highest level. Ash didn't lack that by any means. "I feel like you're ready, but it's something I can't judge, something only you can do."

"You're right, I'm ready. I will challenge the Elite Four after we return from Altomare and take a shot at the title of Champion," Being the Champion of a region was one of the biggest honors you could get, and the most Champions stayed as Champions for years because they were that good. "Now I just need to start planning on what team I want to bring, considering that it'll be locked and not changeable throughout the entire challenge."

Not saying anything, Pikachu spoke, frantically waving her arms, pointing at herself. It didn't take Ash to tell him what Pikachu said to understand her. Brock knew that Ash would never go anywhere without her by his side. "Tell me, you got that Mega Bracelet from Steven, so why not put it to use? You have more than enough Pokemon who are capable of harnessing the power of Mega Evolution."

"You're right, and Steven even gave me a stone to go along with the bracelet. But without a Pokemon who can use the stone's power it's rather worthless," Putting his hand in his pocket, Ash pulled out the stone he had been given by Steven. Looking at it, he handed it to Brock who looked at it carefully. "It's a Latiasite, so I'm sure you can guess who could use it."

The stone was worth nothing if Latias wouldn't be willing to use it, and Ash would never capture her unless she really wanted to go with him. "Well, I'm sure Steven would know that too, but he still gave it to you. There has to be a reason why you still got it," Brock knew that the Hoenn Champion wouldn't simply give away a valuable stone like the Latiasite if he didn't know that it would be put to good use. That was a question for another day, and they had many days left to solve it. "We'll find a solution eventually, alright Ash?"

"Yeah, we will. So what do we do now? We still got more than an hour to spend before we reach Vermillion," Ash said, tapping his fingers on the armrest. He touched his pokeballs and scratched Pikachu behind her ear, until he put his hands behind his head. He felt the urge to battle. The likeliness to find a battlefield on the ship were very low though. "Hey Brock. Do you think there's somewhere we could battle?"

Brock had also played with idea of having a battle, something he hadn't done that much while they were travelling. He and Ash battled a few times for fun so he didn't lose his edge. Having only seen the ship shortly from the outside, he couldn't be 100 % sure, and it looked to small to host any sort form of battlefield. "Probably not. The ship's too small to house a battlefield, and the travel time isn't particularly long either, so there's no need for it. Gotta wait until we hit land before we can have our battle," Brock responded, glancing at the tv to see if they were bringing anything interesting. That wasn't case, so they needed to figure out something to do in order to pass the remaining time. "Now that I think about it, how about we have breakfast? We didn't eat anything back in Slateport, and there's to be some sort of cafeteria on this ship. And knowing you, your stomach would welcome a good breakfast, wouldn't it?"

Grinning at Brock's words, Ash stoop up with Pikachu in his arms, placing her on his shoulder and emptying his can. "You know me too well my friend. Let's go then," Taking their bags, they exited the room and closed the door behind while trying to find out where they needed to go to reach their destination. Walking up a set of stairs to reach the main deck, they stopped. "Do you remember reading the signs which told you where the cafeteria is?"

"What would you do without me?" Brock asked, Ash clearly not amused at his statement. In the end it was the truth though, and Ash couldn't argue with Brock on that point. Looking to his left and to his right, he had to think about which direction they should go. Deciding that going to the left was the right choice, Brock started walking along the hallway they were in. "If I remember correctly, this is the way we should be going to get to the cafeteria, and satisfy your stomach."

"Very funny, Brock," Ash responded dryly, the sarcasm very clear in his voice. After a few minutes, the smell of breakfast started reaching their noses, and urged them onwards. For suck a small ship, the cafeteria was comparatively big. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

'Little one~, do you think you could get something for me as well?' Reshiram asked from inside her pokeball, only Ash and Brock able to hear her. Reshiram was the only one of his Pokemon to take any sort of liking to human food, except Pikachu's addiction to ketchup. No one else, besides those two, had taken a liking to non Pokemon stuff. With Pikachu it was simple though, giving her a bottle of ketchup worked out nearly every single time. With Reshiram it was a completely different story. 'You know how much I like human food, so can't you get me some?'

"I'll try my best, alright? Ash responded, speaking a bit lower now that there were people around them. Taking a plate, they lined up in order to start filling their plates. There wasn't as much variety as there had been back in their hotel in Evergrande, but still enough to satisfy most people's needs. Deciding that he didn't need that much, Ash kept his choices rather simple, only going with two slices with jam on them and a glass of orange juice. Brock's plate didn't look any different, except he had butter and ham on his slices of toast and went with grapefruit juice instead of orange juice like he did. "What do you think she would like? I'm not sure if she would appreciate toast like we do. Whatever, I'll simply take a handful of it and a glass of strawberry jam as well. Hopefully she won't complain about my choices for her."

"I'm the wrong person to ask that about. None of the Pokemon I have worked with like human food, so I can't help you," Brock said, plate in one hand and the glass in the other hand. "Maybe you should ask her why she likes our food so much, and what makes it better compared to regular Pokemon food."

Sitting down at one of the many empty tables, Ash started shoveling down his breakfast, drinking from his glass sometimes to help him get everything down. Pikachu was nibbling away at a blueberry muffin she had managed to grab, Brock instead eating at a much slower pace than his two companions. "It's going to be great to be back home, isn't it? Even though it's only for a short time, it's still great to be back home."

"It is. I love travelling the world, experiencing and seeing new thing, but coming home is always an experience of its own," Brock replied to Ash's words, only halfway done while Ash and Pikachu were already finished. "How do you plan on carrying around the food with you?"

"I should still have a small plastic bag where I can put everything in," Ash hoped that he had at least one left, else he would need to look for one on the ship. Resting his hands on his stomach, Ash waited patiently for Brock to finish, where as Pikachu had already rolled over and looked rather done for. "What do we do now? We still got too much time to spend before we reach Vermillion."

"How about we simply find a pair of chairs and enjoy this great summer morning?" Brock asked, finishing his breakfast and standing up. Taking Pikachu in one arm, Ash took the slices of toast and the jar of jam in his other arm as Brock took his bag and they tried to make their way back to the deck in order to find some chairs. It didn't take them long to reach the deck, and find some chairs they could use, as many of them were already occupied. Pulling two closer to the railing, Brock laid down and put his bag next to the chair, and Ash's next to the other chair. "This is life."

Putting down Pikachu on the floor, and the slices and jar too, Ash picked up his bag, looking for a small plastic bag to use. Finding one, Ash put the slices and the jar into it, and dropped it back into his bag. Sitting down, and lifting Pikachu up into his lap, Ash couldn't agree more. "This is life."

* * *

"Let's hope there's more to do on the next ship," Brock spoke up ,even though simply enjoying the sun wasn't bad per se, there were more interesting ways to spend time on a ship. Stretching a little, Brock looked around, watching the different kinds of people move around. Before he could warn Ash though, a girl already crashed into him. "Ash, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Ash muffled voice came out from under the girl, who quickly stood up and dusted herself off. Spotting Ash, the girl didn't hesitate to hold out her for Ash to take. Looking to be younger than Ash, about 15 or 16 if Brock would guess, it was clear that she was a trainer. She had a red bag hanging across her shoulder and six pokeballs were sitting on her belt. The League symbol on her cap spoke for it as well. "Are you alright?"

Helping Ash up, the girl blinked a few times in surprise. Most people wouldn't ask if whoever ran into them was alright. "Yeah, thanks. I'm sorry I ran into you!" Bowing slightly, she backed off a little to get a better look of Ash. Tilting her head, the girl looked like she was thinking about something "Hey, I know you!"

"You do?" Ash wondered, baffled at the small fact. It wasn't like Ash was a world famous trainer, even if he had taken part in his fair share of leagues. Making sure Pikachu was alright, Ash returned his attention to the girl. "That's the first time I've gotten any sort of recognition. So, what's your name? My name's Ash Ketchum by the way."

"I'm Hilda!" The girl, now Hilda, responded happily, shaking Ash's hand. She reminded Brock heavily of Ash a few years ago, looking like she was ready to take on the world. Which Ash still did. Taking out her phone, Hilda opened it. As she looked at her phone, her eyes grew big at whatever she saw. "Would you know where the gym is here?"

Nodding, Ash pointed behind Hilda. "If you take that street and then take the second right, you should have no problem finding the gym. You shouldn't be able to miss it," Ash explained, Hilda nodding as listened to the information she was given. She already had six pokeballs on her belt, so she was at least somewhat experienced by the looks of it. "The gym doesn't close until this evening, which means there's no need to hurry. How many badges have you gotten so far?"

"This will be my first badge once I get it. I got here a bit late after the Vertress Conference, and I want to have my eight badges rather sooner than later so I have enough time to train for the conference," Hilda told them, now smiling at them. Her pose was a clear sign of confidence, and the amount of pokeballs should have been a giveaway too. "I battled a few trainers on the ship from Unova, but could you maybe tell me something about the gym?"

Laughing loudly, Hilda carried a baffled expression. Turning to Brock, who only shook his head, Hilda turned back to Ash. "Lt. Surge is one of the more interesting gym leaders I've met, I suppose. You'll see what I mean when you meet him. I guess a good start is that he's an electric type user, and very strong and experienced one at that. He's good," Ash informed, there being no way Brock was disagreeing. In Kanto, only Sabrina, Gary and Blaine could match him. Gary would have an easier time if he wasn't split between bing a professor and a gym leader. "Lt. Surge also likes to have his goal be to beat whoever he faces into a pulp. But, seeing how you have already taken on the Vertress Conference you should have no problem here. How high did you place in the Vertress Conference?"

"I finished in the top 4," Hilda replied, a proud grin on her lips. "Thanks for the information, but I getter go now. I plan on getting to Saffron as soon as possible. Thanks for the help!"

Before either of them could say anything she was already gone. "She reminds me of you a few back you know," Brock spoke up, Ash chuckled next to him. He could remember a time where he had been like that too. But with time came maturity for him, and growth as a trainer. "She reminded me way too much of you when we were travelling back then."

"Well, I was different back then. So, are you ready to fly?" Ash took one of his pokeballs from his belt and enlarged it. Walking where there were less people, Ash threw the pokeball in the air, releasing the Pokemon inside. Being released from the pokeball, Pidgeot let out a soft cry as she stretched her wings and looked at her trainer. Knowing what he wanted Pidgeot lowered herself so her trainer and Brock could get on her. "Let's go, Pidgeot! To Pewter City!"

Unable to say anything, Brock had to hold tight onto Ash to make sure he didn't fall to his death as Pidgeot quickly ascended higher and higher. It wasn't often that he was flying on a Pokemon, preferring to have his feet on solid ground. Before long though, Pewter City came into sight, Ash giving Pidgeot a slight pat so she would know that she had to descend in order to land. "I don't remember her being this fast!" Brock shouted, Pidgeot slowing down enough so their voices could be heard over the wind. Landing a bit outside Pewter City, Ash recalled Pidgeot for the moment as they started heading for the city. "Thankfully we will only have to fly two more times, from there we only need to take a ship to reach our destination."

"Well, I enjoyed the ride. Everyone has their own preferences I guess," Ash said, stretching a little as well as they walked towards Pewter City. In Brock's case, no one except Forrest would be home, someone having to take care of the gym while the rest of the family went on their own vacation. "Is there any need for us to stay here any longer than necessary?"

Shaking his head, Brock knew that their wasn't much to be said between him and Forrest. Soon they could see they gym, still looking the same as it had done when Ash had first gotten to Pewter City. "Forrest will have to tell the rest of my family about my change of plans. He'll be happy that he gets to have the gym for himself for another week or so though," When he had been younger his mother had sometimes taken of all his siblings with her, while he had to take care of the gym alone. It was more work than usual, and could get somewhat only, but for shorter periods of time it was nothing to fret about. "He should be happy about the short visit though he will get. I still have to figure what I need to bring along and how much I would need for a longer stay in Alto Mare. It's a longer stay, right?"

"I planned on making it a longer stay, a few days at least. I'm not sure if a week would be too long. We'll get to that eventually. I wonder if Gary is back home, or if he's out there somewhere doing some research. Still haven't figured out so he stays in form as a trainer and gets all of his research done," Ash spoke, walking in behind Brock into the Pewter City gym. He had only been here twice, and that was during his first visit and during the Battle Frontier and the incident with Team Rocket. "Hey Forrest, are you here?!"

A few mumbled calls could heard, and soon Forrest appeared from deeper inside the gym. It took a while before Forrest actually registered who was standing in the gym. Running up to them, Forrest seemed to be happy to see them again. "I've been waiting for you after seeing the end of the Conference! Sorry for your loss though, Ash. I thought you had it and the trophy in the bag," Finally standing in front of them, having to walk across the entire gym to reach them, Forrest took their bags and lead them to the actual house where they lived. It was a rather spacious house, directly connected to gym through a single door. "So, what brings you here?"

"I just wanted to make a quick stop and pack some things. We're going on another trip," Brock answered, already inside his room, removing the old things out of his bag and putting in new clothes. Everything else he needed was already in the bag, his pokeballs were secure on his belt. "Which means you got the gym for yourself for another week."

"Where are you going?" Forrest asked interested, standing next to Ash as he waited for his older brother to finish packing his bag. They didn't need to wait long for Brock to appear out of his room, his newly packed bag over his shoulder. "You're not going to go to another region, or are you? You've been everywhere, so I don't see why you would."

"You're right,. We planned on going to Alto Mare," Ash told Forrest, who gaped at the information. Most people knew about Alto Mare. Walking back into the gym, Ash gave Forrest a strong handshake, while Brock hugged his younger brother. "We'll be back by the end of next week, alright? Make sure to keep everything running in Brock's absence!"

And with that they back outside of the Pewter City gym. "Can't we walk to Pallet Town?" Brock wondered, Ash only grinning at the words from his friend. Sure they could walk, but flying would most likely save them a few hours. Having some fun with Brock was also one of the reasons he wanted to fly. "It's not that long of a walk, only a few hours there."

Not listening to Brock's pleading, Ash released Pidgeot once again and climbed onto her back, Brock hesitantly doing the same. "To Pallet Town, Pidgeot," Ash spoke softly to his Pokemon, the bird slowly starting to ascend, but far slower this time. With Pallet Town being so close, there was no need to go at a high speed, and they could take it slow. Only a few minutes later the Oak Laboratory could be seen rising over Pallet Town, and Ash pushed his foot lightly into Pidgeot's side, signaling her to descend. Soon, Ash's house could be seen below them, Pidgeot carefully approaching it before she landed right in front of it. Petting Pidgeot a little, Ash recalled her and knocked on the door. "It's great to be back home."

From inside the house, steps could be heard as whoever was inside was hurrying down the stairs to open the door. "Ash!" His mother happily exclaimed, pulling her son into a bear hug, Brock watching everything unfold amusedly. It had been around a year since she had last seen him, so she had no plans of letting him go anytime soon. Ash tried to loosen his mother's grip on him, but her arms didn't dodge. "I'm so happy you're back!"

"Mom, can't breath," Ash managed to get out, his mother immediately letting go of him. Now that he could breath normally again, Ash, this time, initiated the hug, having no plans on suffocating his mother though. As he was hugging his mother, a delicious smell reached his nose. One he knew far too well. Looking over his mother's shoulder, Ash caught a glance of the table, everything already prepared to eat. "Did you cook for us, mom?"

A wry smile graced her lips at his words. "What kind of a mother would I be if I didn't when my son would be back home?" His mother asked, letting them inside the house as she closed the door behind them. Walking back into the kitchen to continue her cooking, Ash and Brock took off their shoes and put their bags on the ground. Entering the dining room, the first thing both of them noticed was that there were four plates. We rarely had guests over, and I didn't expect it to be the Professor, Gary or Tracey. "We're having an old friend of mine over!"

An old friend of his mom? She had never told him of any of her friends. "I never thought trying to reach someone could be this infuriating," Standing before them was an older version of Ash, having sharper features coming with the older age, wearing a red and white jacket with a black shirt and jeans, a red and white cap and a Pikachu sitting on his right shoulder. "If I had known you would return to Pallet Town I wouldn't have needed to follow you all the way from Evergrande back here. And I'm still not sure how you managed to elude me on the ship to Vermillion. Thankfully it became obvious that you would return here."

Ash had never thought there was a possibility of having someone who looked nearly like a copy of you. "You seem to know me, but I don't know you," Ash said, Pikachu jumping down from his shoulder and carefully approaching the other Pikachu. "Who are you?"

"I'm-"

"He's the former Champion!" His mother's voice could be heard from the kitchen. The former Champion only shook his head, wearing a weak smile. Appearing out of the kitchen, Ash's mother was carrying multiple bows with different types of food, placing them on the table and gesturing for them to sit. As usual the food looked delicious, something that was common every time his mother cooked. "I've known him since I was a child, and watched him depart on his journey. I was surprised to see him standing on my doorstep only an hour before you came back. Tell him why you're here, Red."

"Red?" That was a name every trainer in the world knew. Possibly the most famed trainer of all time, and still considered the strongest trainer in existence. He was known to have been the Kanto Champion before Lance took the position and supposedly the one to have taken down the old iteration of Team Rocket, until Giovanni rebuilt it into what it was now. "You're the Red? The Red who is only known as a legend among trainers?"

"A legend? Boy, I'm not more of a trainer than you are. The rumors about my strength are not believable, even if I like to think I'm still able to beat Lance," Red replied, Ash staring at him with big eyes. Even Brock's eyes had opened in surprise at the fact that they in the presence of a legend. "You though deserve more credit than you get. After all, you're a hero on a far bigger scale than I am. I've rarely left Kanto or Johto, while you have been all over the world. You have also met more Legendaries than I could ever dream of. And, without you I'm not sure anyone of us would be standing here."

Scratching his head in embarrassment at the praise, Ash couldn't help but smile. "Well, maybe. How did you know who I am though?" It wasn't like everyone knew who he was, unless you actively tried to find out. He had probably enough connections to find out if he wanted to. "And how did you know of me saving the world?"

"Champions aren't only trainers but also safe keepers, I suppose you can call them, of their region. I have heard more praise than I can remember from Lance, Steven, Wallace, Cynthia and Alder about you. And, being Arceus' Chosen One counts for a lot as well," Red explained. His encounters with Mewtwo had been interesting to say the least, hearing from the antisocial Pokemon of his encounters with the Chosen One. "I watched you during the conference together with Steven. You absolutely ran through the competition. Then you lost against a Latias when you should have won without any major problems. I won't ask you why, but what I am interested in is what are you going to do with your career."

"Once I'm done with my vacation I plan on challenging Lance for the title of Champion," Ash replied to Red's question, a look of surprise appearing on Red's face. He was set on beating the Elite Four and Lance to become the Kanto and Johto Champion. Then there was also the question of what he should do with the Mega Bracelet and the Latiasite. That was something he could solve while he was in Alto Mare. "Maybe taking you on is something I should consider doing if I manage to beat Lance."

Red couldn't help but laugh at Ash's words. "Don't get ahead of yourself. There's a reason why people refer to me as a legend. Enough talking, let's eat! Your mother didn't prepare a feast for us just for it to go to waste."

* * *

"Alto Mare you say? I've never been there, but from what I have heard from you it's a place worth to visit," Red said, standing outside the Ketchum house as Ash and Brock were about to leave for Vermillion to catch a ship to Alto Mare. Already having said her goodbyes, and making sure to keep it short, his mother was already standing back at the door, watching them talk. "Whatever you plan on accomplishing there, good luck. And once you get back and should you become the Champion, I'll be waiting for a challenge from you."

"You will get one if I make it. It was nice meeting you though, so I hope we see each other again," Ash replied, Pikachu sitting on the ground next to him, looking up at her trainer. Crouching, Ash held out his arm for Pikachu to climb on, taking her usual spot on his shoulder. "Pikachu here will make sure I make it though. And she wants to take on your Pikachu. I'll be back, and see all of you soon. And you don't need to worry about me mom, I got three caretakers with me!"

With that, the two friends once again left Pallet Town, walking back north in the direction of Viridian City. Walking for a few minutes in silence, they soon branched away from the main road and into the forest, until they reached a rather big clearing. Grabbing the pokeball around his neck, Ash removed it from the chain holding it, staring at the pokeball. "Do you want me to leave for this?" Brock asked, Ash only shaking his head as an answer. Reshiram never had anything against him, actually liking his cooking quite a bit, but with Ash around all of her attention would be on him. Reshiram was probably the only Pokemon besides Pikachu to have formed a ridiculous close bond with Ash, through a different connection than between Pikachu and Ash though. Where as Pikachu and Ash's bond had grown over the years, the bond between Ash and Reshiram had been there from the start, mostly because of their connection to each other. "I'll just give you two some space, alright?"

Enlarging the ball, Ash gave it one last look before he threw it in the air. Materializing in the air, a loud thud echoed across the across the clearing as Reshiram hit the ground. Holding the ball in his hand again, Ash approached the big dragon until he stood right in front of her. 'Little one~, is everything alright?' Of course that would be the first thing she would ask, carefully nuzzling Ash's face, showing her affection for him. Petting her snout, Ash smiled at Reshiram as she kept nuzzling him. Ash still couldn't fully comprehend his connection to Reshiram, only knowing that they were connected since he was born. They were connected far beyond a physical level. 'Did you bring what I asked of you~?

Putting down his bag, Ash opened it and looked until he found what he wanted. Showing her the slices of toast and the jar with jam,Ash sat down and put his bag on his lap, the slices atop of it. Opening the jar, Ash carefully poured jam over one of the slices and held it out for Reshiram to eat. "I would never forget something like that," Waiting for Reshiram to lean down, Ash felt a tug on his hoodie, having decided to change from his Sinnoh clothes he had decided to wear during his second Hoenn trip back to the clothes he had gotten for his Unova journey. Pikachu was looking at him with big eyes, her message coming across very clear. "Do you want a slice too? Here, I'll make you one."

"Pikapi, pichu pika," Pikachu said, still looking at her trainer with big eyes. It had started out with her not getting along with Reshiram, at all. Eventually they had both accepted that they were rather affectionate with Ash and wanted his attention. "Pi, kachu."

"You know I would never neglect you, Pikachu. Here's a slice of toast with jam for you too," Ash said, handing Pikachu a slice. Laying down, Ash put his bag next to him and watched as Brock sat down next to him. Glancing at his watch, Ash tried to guess how long they would need to get from Vermillion to Alto Mare and arrive at a reasonable time. He would prefer to not get there too late. "Hey Brock, do you have any idea which ship we would need to take to get to Alto Mare before it's night?

"Well, it's early afternoon, so we should probably not stay too long here. And I'm sure May would prefer to not wait longer than necessary for us," Brock responded, standing up again. Getting to Vermillion would be no problem with Pidgeot, considering how fast she could fly if she wanted. "I'm ready to leave, but I'm not sure your 'mother' would like to return just yet."

'I'm not his mother!' Reshiram exclaimed angrily, her attitude changing the moment Ash gave her some attention again. Nudging the pokeball in his hand, Reshiram accepted the fact she would have to return. She had never been in Alto Mare, but from what she had heard the garden should be big enough for her to stay, and no one would find her there. Seeing that her hero wasn't getting the message, Reshiram tried again. 'You can return me if you want to go now.'

"If you're okay with it, let's go. Come on out, Pidgeot!" Enlarging Pidgeot's pokeball, Ash released his flying-type, returning Reshiram at the same time. Giving her another pat, Ash climbed on her, waiting for Brock to do the same. This time it didn't take particularly long for Brock to join him, seemingly having accepted his fate. "To Vermillion!"

'You should be more careful, little one~!' Reshiram shouted, Ash ignoring her completely as Pidgeot took off. Reshiram knew how exhilarating flying could be, which didn't mean you should be reckless. She had tried to explain that to her trainer and hero, but he never listened to her when tried to explain it to him. She could feel his excitement through their bond, an excitement she was all to familiar with. 'Can't you slow down?'

"Why should I do that?! We're already there!" Ash replied, pointing at Vermillion appearing below them. Signaling Pidgeot to descend, the bird soon slowed down as she landed on the empty square. It looked like everyone was eating, leaving the city rather quiet. Recalling Pidgeot for the third time that day, Ash stretched again before something caught his attention at the corner of his sight. "Isn't that May over there? Hey May, over here!"

Having arrived over an hour ago, May had already spent her time well by getting something to eat before they would board the ship. Just she had expected Ash and Brock to arrive earlier, which lead to her having to explore the city in order to keep boredom away from her. Running over to meet her friends, May stopped, putting her hands on her hips as she tried to glare at them and look angry. She had all the reasons to be angry at them. "What took you so long? I got here over an hour ago and you were nowhere to be seen!" Sighing in defeat, May stopped glaring at them. Opening her bag, May pulled out the three tickets she had bought while waiting for them, making sure they would arrive at a decent time. "Whatever. I got us our tickets while I waited for you to get here. We're scheduled to arrive in Alto Mare at around eight in the evening. That will give us some time to explore and to find a place to stay."

"Is that our ship?" Brock asked, pointing at one the many ships docked in Vermillion City. It was of a similar build to the ship that took them from Slateport to Vermillion, being bigger and made for longer trips. It looked big enough to house a battlefield, compared to the last one. Which meant they had a way of getting time to pass. Reading the ship name on the ticket, Brock spotted the name on the ship as well. "It is. Come, let's board it."

"I hope you guys are ready too battle a lot. Because I am," Ash said, walking ahead as they headed for the ship that would take them to their destination. "Alto Mare, here we come!"

Following their friend, and the one who had always been their leader in a way, onto the ship, they marveled at how modern it looked. Where as the ship Ash and Brock had taken had been great, this one was full of luxury, and modern to boot. Flashing their tickets, the guards gave them a nod, allowing them to pass. "Did he say something about battling?" Trying to keep up with Ash, May soon saw a sign reading battlefield. "That's where he got the idea from. I'm up for a battle or two. What about you, Brock?"

"I'm not a battler anymore May. Keeping in form doesn't hurt though," Having stopped for only a few seconds, Brock blinked as he noticed that Ash had gone missing. Couldn't leave his friend out of sight for more than a second. Thankfully figuring out where he went wasn't hard, the battlefield being easy enough to find. Now knowing where Ash went, Brock and May could walk leisurely to the battlefield. "I'm sure he wants to let off some steam after the conference after Evergrande. Let's hope no one's there. I pity if Ash finds anyone."

A big sign hang above the doorway, a double door leading to the battlefield. Opening the doors, Brock and May found Ash sitting on one side of the battlefield. "Looks like he didn't find someone to challenge. Who of us should be his punching bag? You or me?"

"I'll start, but you will also take him on, alright?" Brock suggested, May only smiling. "I hope I won't regret doing this. Last time he hadn't to let off any steam. I will regret this."

"Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the city of Alto Mare. Please keep your distance from the ramp until we have docked. We hope to see you again and wish you a pleasant evening in Alto Mare." The announcement was blared through the speaker system through the speaker, everyone standing at the ramp, waiting for their chance to leave the ship. Soon, the ramp was down and people were streaming down the ramp and into Alto Mare. The city was lit up by the different lights decorating the city, giving it a unique feeling.

"How I have missed this city." Ash spoke, Pikachu shitting on his shoulder as she took in everything she could. Walking up the stairs, they were now on one of the main streets it seemed like. Just standing there and taking in everything was enough for them, being completely different from the bigger cities on the mainland of Johto and the other regions.

"Now we need to find a place to stay. Does anyone of you where the Pokemon Center is?" May wondered, looking at her two friends for an answer. Brock nodded, but Ash had seemingly spaced out and wasn't responding to her question. "Earth to Ash, are you there?"

"Why would we need to go to the Pokemon Center? I know of much a better place," Ash said, Brock perking up at the words. How could he have not thought about that? Now the only question was where they needed to go to find their temporary home for their stay in the city. It had been too long since they had been here, and he wasn't even sure if they ever were at Bianca's place. "Hey Pikachu, do you think you could find Bianca's home?"

"Pikachu, kachu pi!" With that Pikachu jumped from Ash's shoulder and dashed off into the city, forcing the three friends to run after her to not not lose her. Making sure that they could keep up with her, Pikachu kept running through the city, trying to remember where exactly Bianca lived. She still knew the garden was in the center of the city, and somewhat remembered that there had been mentions of where Bianca and Lorenzo lived. Soon she reached the inner parts of the city, the garden only being a few corners away. Which meant their temporary residence wasn't far away. It didn't take her long for her to find it.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash called to his started, catching her in his arms and giving her a tight hug. Seeing that they were standing in front of a door, Ash hoped that Pikachu had lead them to the right place. Walking up a small set of stairs, Ash knocked on the door, taking a step backwards to make sure the door didn't hit him. He could hear the movement inside, believing hearing Lorenzo speak and hearing someone move towards the door. Ash couldn't stop himself from smiling as it opened, recognizing who stood in the doorway. "Bianca!"

"Brock? Ash?" Bianca asked, not believing what she was seeing. She and Latias had talked about Ash returning multiple times, never thinking it actually was a possibility though. It had over nine years since last time they been here. Clearing her thoughts, Bianca quickly stepped aside to let them inside, noticing someone she didn't recognize. Calling for her grandfather, Bianca waited for him to appear. "Look who's here, grandfather!"

"What brings you here?" Lorenzo questioned, a smile on his face as he approached them, shaking their hands. He was as surprised as his granddaughter to see them again, in his house of all places. Gesturing for them to follow him into the kitchen, he sat down as Bianca got three plates and some forks and knives for them. Dinner had been a bit with Bianca spending her day with Latias again. "Come, sit down. We were just about to eat, and there's more than enough for all of us."

Sitting down, they all watched as Bianca brought over two bowls full of food, a wonderful looking stew and potatoes. "We're very grateful for your hospitality. We thought if we're here we could ask if we could stay here for our vacation instead of in a Pokemon Center," Brock spoke, filling his plate with potatoes and stew. The smell was delicious. Waiting for everyone to fill their plates before continued to speak, Brock looked at Bianca. "I'm sure someone will be happy if we stay here."

"Of course, you're more than welcome to stay with us. Isn't that so, grandfather?" Bianca said to her grandfather, smiling the entire time. Latias would be overjoyed to hear about Ash's return. Maybe she could even surprise her tomorrow. "Come, let's eat and then I'll show you where you can stay."

* * *

 **I actually managed to make this longer than the first chapter, and only because I added more after they boarded the ferry. Red and Hilda will have more appearances as the story progresses. I also didn't want to write any battles yet, saving those for later too. Next chapter, finally, will be the start of the Altoshipping parts. There will be an actual conflict as well. Still looking for a beta reader. Leave a review if you liked this chapter, and I'll see you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Took a bit longer than I expected, but I managed to complete it none the less. I originally planned on having this chapter be twice as long, but decided against it and simply stopped writing. Next chapter will immediately pick up where this chapter ends. From here on out the fluff increase, and hopefully the romance. As usual enjoy the read, and leave a review if you liked it, or got something to say.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

Waking up, it took Ash a while to remember where he was. With there being only bed they had decided that a coin toss would be the solution to see who should get the bed. Thankfully he had taken his sleeping bag with him, as had Brock and May, but in the end neither he nor Brock would get the bed, having to sleep on the ground together with Pikachu. Sitting up, Ash looked around the room, noticing that everyone was still sleeping. Nudging his starter a few times, it only took him a few tries to get her to react. Trying to be as silent as possible, Ash walked over to where he puts his clothes and started dressing while Pikachu was watching. Trying to find his bag, which he had conveniently put behind his pillow, Ash picked it up and placed on his head. Throwing his jacket over his left shoulder, Ash gestured to Pikachu to follow him out of the room. He tried to be as silent as possible, hoping the door would open with minimal sound, which it did. Now standing on the floor, Ash could smell breakfast coming from below, again trying to be silent as he walked dow the stairs in order to not wake his friends which were still sleeping. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, Ash looked to his left, spotting the kitchen. Entering it, he saw Lorenzo sitting at the table with a newspaper in his hand, and Bianca walking around the kitchen and setting everything on the table, including jam, slices of toast, butter, ham. There were even scrambled eggs being prepared and coffee being cooked. "Good morning you two," Ash spoke up, catching their attention. Bianca smiled as she spotted him, Lorenzo giving him a friendly nod instead. Seeing that the table was set for six, Ash tilted his head a little. They were a total of five, so why was the table set for six? He was pretty sure that Pikachu wouldn't sit on a chair and eat at the table, so who would be joining them? "Are you having someone else over?"

"Yeah," Bianca responded, a sly smile on her face. She clearly had something in mind as she looked at him. Where as yesterday she only invited Latias because she wanted to spend more time with her. Now that Ash was here, completely different opportunities opened themselves for her to take. The biggest question how she should handle everything from now. She wanted to somehow surprise Latias, which meant that Ash had to know in the end. Just telling him and asking him to help her surprise Latias would be the option. "Latias is coming over for breakfast soon. I invited her yesterday, can you imagine how happy she will be to see that you are back?"

Bianca's words hit Ash like a truck. She had _invited Latias over_? The reason why he was here was to meet Latias, but like this? He was given the perfect chance, and instead he felt like running. "When is she coming?" Ash barely managed to get the words out, feeling his heart race at the thought of seeing Latias again, after so many years. Maybe just taking it on head on would be the best solution to his problem. He hoped that it was the best solution. He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Latias. "When is she coming?"

Everything was going better than planned. If she could only surprise Latias somehow. Possibly she could surprise both of them. "In ten minutes or so she should be here. I'll get the others," Bianca replied, starting to head toward the second floor. Just as she set her foot on the first step the doorbell rang, which meant everything was going along perfectly. She had told Latias to come around this time, but Ash didn't need to know that. Now a quick lie and all was good. "Ash, that should be the mailman! Could you open the door?"

"Sure!" Ash called back, walking out of the kitchen to the door. He wasn't sure why Bianca hadn't asked Lorenzo to open the door. He wouldn't say no to such a simple favor, especially when it came from a friend. Putting his hand on knob, pulling the door, expecting to greet a mailman. He wasn't expecting someone completely different. He recognized her without any problems, even if she looked different from what he remembered. Her hair was longer, and somehow she had become even more beautiful than before. "Latias?"

If Ash had been greatly surprised, Latias was outright shocked. She had dreamt of him, dreamt of him returning, watched his every Pokemon battle, talked with Bianca about how she felt and how she wished he would return. Never did she imagine that her biggest wish would come true. She couldn't contain a squeal coming out in her regular voice, quickly putting a hand over her mouth as she blushed. Last time they hadn't been able to communicate besides with more simple gestures and such. Unable to stop the urge, Latias leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Ash. She knew she shouldn't have done, but the childish glee she felt was too strong. She had learnt to control in the years the other Latis arrived. Seeing Ash had broken down all of that control, which ended up in her hugging him. She didn't know if she should simply enjoy the moment or actually say something. Saying something felt like the better option. _'You're back!'_ As she hugged Ash she felt another presence, simply ignoring it as she bathed in happiness. She knew that she should let him go, holding him like this though was overwhelming for her. Soon, she felt something poke her leg, and as she looked down she saw Pikachu grinning at her. The moment she let go, Pikachu jumped into her arms with a squeal of her own. Hugging the little yellow Pokemon light, Latias put her back down as Ash stepped aside to allow her entrance. _'What are you doing here? I'd thought you would be back home or off to another region again.'_

"I wanted to visit you. Is that good enough of a reason for me being here?" Ash joked, giving her a quick hug again before they headed for the kitchen. If anything else had happened, he might have gotten annoyed at Bianca for setting him up like that. For this he didn't know if he should thank her or not. Right before they entered the kitchen, Ash noticed that he was holding Latias' hand. He definitely didn't remember taking it, so he must have done it unconsciously. Glancing at Latias, he got her attention, which triggered her looking down on their intertwined hands as well. A light blush graced her cheeks as she let go of Ash's hand, walking first into the kitchen. Following her, Ash saw that Brock and May were already there, having released Croagunk and Glaceon. He couldn't stop himself from wearing a big smile as he entered. "Good morning, guys."

Hearing someone enter, May took notice of the girl, probably being Bianca's friend, and Ash as they sat down next to each other."You seem awfully happy this morning. Care to tell what has your spirits so high?" May asked, her eyes darting between Ash and Bianca's friend. As she took a better look, she soon found out that Bianca's friend looked awfully like her, except the longer hair and somehow looking more radiant. Instead of waiting for Ash to answer, May moved her attention. "I'm May. You're Bianca's friend, right?"

Latias had completely forgotten. There were no problems with Ash or Brock, seeing as she knew, but she never had interacted with May before. If she was a friend of Ash there shouldn't be any problem, she hoped. _'I'm Latias,'_ Latias introduced herself, May being shocked at the revelation. Sure, psychic Pokemon were known to have the ability to communicate through telepathy, though you rarely experienced it first hand. Continuing to be stare upon by May, Latias wondered if something was wrong. _'Is everything alright?'_

"Yeah, everything's alright, I was just a bit surprised," May quickly responded, putting on a smile. She hadn't expected Bianca's friend to be a Pokemon, and even less that she was a Latias. If going by how well Latias and Ash were getting along, she would guess that they knew each other from Ash's previous visit. Noticing that Ash and Brock had struck up a conversation about something, May took her chance to have a conversation with Latias while the others were busy. Then she remembered what Ash had told her of his last visit to Altomare, about the incident with Team Rocket. "I wanted to ask how exactly you met Ash, but then I remembered what he told me. This is probably a little late though, I'm still sorry for your loss, if it counts for anything. Let's talk about something happier instead."

' _Maybe you can tell me something about you got to know Ash,'_ Latias asked, making sure that only May would hear her. No need for everyone else to listen in on their conversation. She remembered Misty travelling with Ash when they met, and knowing that he travelled all across the world, she was sure that May was one of his companions he met. _'Where're you from, May? Wait, I think I saw you during the Hoenn Grand Festival, which you won!'_

That little fact caught May off guard, recovering quickly though as she was happy to hear that even Latias watched her match. Did that mean she also followed all of Ash's matches? That would be cute. May could only wonder Latias had followed more than just Ash's latest conference. "It wasn't anything special," Now she had to steer the conversation in the direction, while not making it too obvious. "Did you watch Ash's matches as well?"

While not having some of the problems that came a human voice, Latias still 'choked' as May asked away. _'Yeah, I did. I was sad seeing Ash lose though, with him being so close to winning it,'_ She remembered the feeling well, seeing Ash falter right at the end. But he bounced back, as usual, and had no problems beating her and Brock a few times. _'Will he compete in another conference?'_

"He hasn't discussed any plans with me yet, I'm sure Brock knows something though," May said, pretty sure Brock knew what Ash had in mind next. A new thought popped up, one that made May think. What did a Pokemon like Latias spend her time with? Obviously she wasn't a trained Pokemon, and she couldn't spend every day with Bianca. "What do you do though to pass time? I know that Pokemon don't have jobs like we do, and you have to be doing something to pass time, right? Are you just flying around, or what?"

' _I actually used to do that, until some other Latis came,'_ Before Latias could elaborate on it, Bianca served the eggs and bacon. All the eyes were on the breakfast, now everything being served, and it was clearly not your normal breakfast you got when you went to work or were travelling. _'That looks delicious, Bianca. You didn't need to put that much work into it.'_

Walking behind Latias, Bianca put her hands on Latias' shoulders and smiled at everyone around the table. "Of course I had to, especially with our special guest here," Giving Latias a quick squeeze, Bianca took her place on one of the short sides of table, opposite of her grandfather, with Ash and Latias to her right, and Brock and May to her left. Taking a few stripes of bacon, a slice of toast, and pouring herself some coffee, Bianca watched as different hands moved across the table, trying to choose what they wanted. Obviously Ash's plate was filled the most, and even Latias, who ate a lot, was put to shame in comparison to Ash. "Hey Latias, what do you think of visiting the garden today? It's a great day for it."

Latias hoped she hadn't heard Bianca correctly, with four pairs of eyes looking at her though she most likely hadn't heard her friend wrong. While she was sure nothing would happen if she brought them, seeing how none of the Latis reacted badly against Bianca, some even interacting with her. Her mind went back to the talk she had with the siblings. She really didn't want Lily bothering Ash. And then there was Zelgius. She could simply say that she was 'together' with Ash, a concept not really understood by Latis, but that would be a blatant lie, and not fair to Ash. For a Lati, you were either mates or you weren't. Dating didn't exist. Maybe she could simply show him that she was interested in Ash, interested in being more than just friends. Zelgius wouldn't be the only one to frown though about her showing such an interest in Ash. The minority of the Lati would support it, the only ones she knew would be supportive were the siblings. The rest would either not care, or be against it. She had to start somewhere though. _'Sure, why not?'_ Now she had to hope that she wouldn't regret the decision. She would actually love to show them the garden. Thankfully she had her private area, where most Lati never went. _'When are we leaving, Bianca?'_

"As soon as possible, if you guys are okay with that," Bianca said, taking a sip of her coffee. The garden was always beautiful, but at this time of the year it was even more beautiful. Summer really did the garden well, and Latias loved spending her time. What better to improve that then spending time with Ash? She would eventually need to get away Brock and May from them, giving them some much needed alone time. They continued to eating their breakfast in silence, their Pokemon already finished. "Well, I'm done. You can finish at your own pace, and then you should get ready for our small trip to the garden."

Having also finished with breakfast, Ash stood up and put everything in the sink. Giving Pikachu a signal to follow him, Ash needed to get up to the room. Since Latias had appeared, a nagging presence had been in his mind, much to his annoyance. Hurrying up the stairs, he could hear Bianca in her room, which was at the other end of the hallway. Which meant that so long he didn't speak too loud, she shouldn't be able to hear the conversation he was about to have. "What was that all about?" Ash asked, holding the pokeball around his neck a little closer. There wasn't really a need for it, but it felt weird taking to someone when they simply hang around his neck. He loved Reshiram dearly, but for whatever reason, Latias' presence had annoyed her, and that annoyance had been transferred to him as well. At least he managed to avoid them letting feel his mood change. How he wished that he could release Reshiram so they could speak face to face, something which would have rather bad consequences for all of them, considering the size of the room. Waiting for a response, he got none. "What exactly did Latias do to get such a reaction from you? I never seen you react like before. I'm sure even Latias could feel your annoyance."

' _Do you have a crush on her, little one~?'_ Reshiram asked, Ash reeling back in surprise at the question. He hadn't expected that, to say the least. Did he have a crush on Latias? Most likely, if going by what he felt when he saw her was any indication. And Reshiram surely picked up the emotions he was feeling rather easily. That still didn't explain the annoyance she was projecting onto him. _'That's cute! My hero has a crush on a Latias.'_

"Why were you so annoyed then?" Ash could practically feel Reshiram's embarrassment at his words. For being a legendary of her caliber, Reshiram really didn't act like it when around him. Around other legendaries she probably went serious, but around him that wasn't needed. "No, please tell me you didn't feel that. Why would you be jealous of Latias?"

' _Do I have to tell you?'_ Ash nearly couldn't believe it. Reshiram was _pleading_ of all things. But he wanted to know, even if he had a pretty good guess what her answer would be. Trying to convey that he wanted to know, he waited patiently. Not getting an answer for over a minute, Ash sat down on his sleeping bag, Pikachu lying down next to him, telling him to scratch her behind her ear. _'I'm jealous that she will take you away from me!'_

"What," Ash was rendered speechless. One of the strongest Pokemon in the world was jealous of another legendary and afraid that they would hog all the time that they would spend with him. That was unheard of to Ash's knowledge. He was happy that she honest, seeing as that he was the hero of truth, she should tell the truth too. "But you don't need to worry, Reshi. No one can replace you in my mind, ever. How about all three of us and Pikachu spend some together in the garden, alone? Then me and Latias can catch up, and you two can get to know each other better."

' _I can agree to that.'_ Reshiram said, accepting that her hero would know what's best.

* * *

It wasn't long after the short conversation he had with Reshiram that they left, Bianca walking at front with while the rest simply followed them. Pikachu was walking ahead of him together with Glaceon and Croagunk, talking about something he couldn't hear. He had wanted to talk to Latias, but that plan was crushed as Bianca had taken her by the hand and lead her to the front of their small group. He nearly missed whatever May said, thankfully still hearing her question. "I plan on taking a shot at becoming the Kanto Champion," Going by the expression on her face, May was surprised. Which he guessed he could understand. It was like saying that he would settle down for the next few years. "Does it seem that unreasonable that I would eventually try to take a shot at becoming a Champion?"

"Well, yeah, it does. You have been travelling since you have been a trainer, and suddenly you plan stopping? That's a shocker," May joked, laughing softly as they continued walking deeper into the city, and closer to the garden. The time she had spent with Ash and Brock in Hoenn this year had been incredible for her. The first time she travelled through Hoenn she had lacked any experience, and Ash wasn't the same back then. Now though, after all these years it was a completely different experience to her, travelling her home region again with her friends. "Don't you need to have won the regional conference to be able to do it though?"

"Normally yes," Brock spoke for Ash, rounding another corner, a wall appearing ahead of them. Bianca and Latias started to increase their pace, forcing them to also increase their pace. "What most don't know is that if you have enough accomplishments to your name, or the League thinks you're capable enough, you can still challenge the Elite Four."

May stopped in her tracks at Brock's explanation, quickly catching up again to not fall behind. "I did not know that," Ash had more accomplishments than most trainers ever could dream. Top 32 in the Indigo League, which no longer existed, Champion of the Orange League, top 16 in the Silver Conference, top 8 in the Evergrande Conference, first winner of the Kanto Battle Frontier, top 4 in the Lily of the Valley Conference, top 8 in the Vertress Conference and second place finish in the Evergrande Conference. And if what Brock had told her true, he had even stood toe-to-toe with a member of the Kanto Elite Four and Lance, the Kanto Champion. "So, you really plan on doing it? I hope they'll let us watch."

"Guys, are you coming?!" Bianca called, turning around, as she watched her three friends fall behind, and catch up. Smiling as they reached her and Latias, she gestured towards the wall. Ash simply stared at it, seemingly accepting the fact that he would have too walk through a wall. Brock, having had his fair share of weird experiences, didn't hesitate to follow Ash. With her two friends gone, May stared at the spot where they entered, shrugging her shoulders in surrender. Doing the same as everyone else, May walked through the wall, leaving only Bianca and Latias. "I think it's better you go first, making sure the others Latis don't crowd on them too much. I suppose you should have gone in before any of them."

Walking through the wall, Latias simply ignored the sensation that overcame one when passing through. Gracefully appearing on the other side, she glanced around the garden. No Latis had taken notice of them yet. Walking to the front of the group, Bianca appearing a second later, Latias started to focus. Tapping into her powers, Latias transformed back into her original form, a soft gasp coming from May. ' _This is my home,'_ Having lived her entire life in the garden, Latias still admired its beauty every time. Turning around to face her friends, it was impossible to not notice that Ash had been staring at her. Even May hadn't been staring, and Latias thought she could see a light blush on Ash's cheeks. She could spot a few Latis further into the garden, and none had shown any interest in them yet. Slowly flying deeper into the garden, Latias made sure that everyone was following, and that Pikachu and the other Pokemon weren't running ahead. Now she just hoped that Zelgius wouldn't ruin her day, and her time she wanted to spend with Ash. _'Come, I'll show you my personal area of the garden.'_

Walking deeper and deeper into the garden, they soon found themselves staring at a massive tree. The soft sound of water could be heard as well, giving the place a serene feeling. Ash had felt the looks he and the others were getting by the many Latis inhabiting the garden. He would have to ask later where the other Latis all came from, especially the golden Latios. That one had been staring at them the entire time they were in his vision, and he hadn't exactly looked happy about seeing them be with Latias. As they closer to the tree, Ash saw a swing hanging from one of the many branches. _The_ swing he and Latias had played on last time. "So you still got it, huh?" Taking hold of one of the ropes, Ash sat sown and took hold of other rope as well. "What are you waiting for? I could use some help here!"

A squeal of delight escaped Latias she rushed over to the swing, positioning herself behind Ash. Gripping the swing with her paws, she started pulling backwards before pushed the swing forwards. Repeating the motion a few times, Latias tightened her grip on the swing as she was laughing together with Ash. Nearly letting go of the swing in surprise at the additional weight on her back, Latias giggled as she heard Pikachu say something about how great it felt. She hadn't enjoyed herself this much in a long time. _'Isn't this great, Ash?'_

"Should we leave them alone?" Brock asked, watching Ash, Latias and Pikachu having the time of their life on the swing. It was heartwarming to watch them, but it left everyone else somewhat outside. Looking to both his left and his right, Brock saw that May and Bianca were looking at trio on the swing. "Come one, let's leave them alone. They sure got some catching up to do, and we're not involved in that. How about we go and explore the city?"

Soon, Latias pulled the swing to a halt, and noticed that everyone was gone. _'Did you notice everyone leaving us here?'_

"What? Well, I guess that we get to spend more time together, alone," Ash said, regretting that he said that. He couldn't have made it more obvious, could he? Touching the pokeball around his neck, Ash remembered something he had wanted to ask Latias. "Hey Latias, do you think I could release one of my Pokemon here? She hasn't been outside since a while."

A weird question, in Latias' mind, but one she wouldn't say no to. There was no reason after all, even if the way he asked was somewhat suspicious. Nodding, she watched as Ash removed the pokeball from around his neck. Looking around, Latias had been sure there had been someone else with them, not finding anyone though. Whatever that presence was, it hit her like a truck as Ash through the pokeball in the air, and it opened to release whoever it held inside. Standing before her, in all her glory, was Reshiram. Yes, she was a legendary, but she rarely attended to the meetings with the other legendaries, only interacting with those of her own kind, and the occasional visit from Ho-Oh. _'You're the one I have been noticing this entire time? I didn't know!'_ Latias closed her eyes and bowed as much as she could, hoping to not get on the bad side of the legendary.

A deep rumble echoed across the clearing, Reshiram unable to hold in her laughter. Opening her eyes, Latias could see that both Ash and Pikachu were grinning at.

' _You have no need to worry about me, after all, you plan on staying with my hero for quite some time. I hope you hurry up though, I still want to see your offspring someday,'_ Managing to stop her laughing, Reshiram lowered herself so she was at the same height as the much smaller dragon. _'If you harm my hero in any way though, I won't be particularly forgiving.'_

"That's enough, Reshiram," Ash spoke, his tone rather playful, the dragon going quiet all the same. Sitting down on the grass, he patted two spots next to him, wanting the two dragons to join him. Latias simply stopped floating to comply with Ash's request, Reshiram having a harder time to find a suitable way to sit or lay down. Mimicking her hero, she simply let herself fall, with her legs stretched out. It looked rather funny, Ash had to admit. "So, what do we do now, with everyone gone? We can't sit here the entire day and do nothing, can we?"

' _Well we could,'_ Latias replied grinning, lazily lying next to Ash and Pikachu, Reshiram on the other side of Ash. About to make a suggestion, Latias' good mood was quickly thrown out of the window as she spotted something golden approaching them. Everything up till now had been great, so why couldn't it stay that way? She would even have endured the siblings, seeing as Ash would have gotten along perfectly with them, but dealing with _him_ wasn't something she felt up to. _'Hey Reshiram, think you can get rid of that golden Latios for me?'_

' _Permanently?_ Reshiram asked, Latias quickly shaking her head. Humming a little, Reshiram watched the golden Latios that Latias meant approaching them. It was clear what he wanted, not even trying to hide his intentions with the way he had been staring at Latias the moment he approached them. He stopped in his tracks as he noticed her though, an awed expression on his face, much like Latias had the moment she saw her. Resuming his approach, he stopped once he had reached them, bowing his head in respect for her. _'And who might you be?'_

Hesitating as he noticed that she hadn't directly spoken, instead using telepathy, Zelgius spotted a human sitting next to them, saying something to a Pikachu sitting next to him.

' _I'm Zelgius, one of the many Latis living here in Alto Mare. I came here wanting to speak with our Queen,'_ He explained, focusing on his telepathy. He could clearly feel her annoyance, which most likely came from that she didn't bother concealing her emotions the least. _'I can leave if you don't want me here right now and come back at a later time.'_

Nodding, Reshiram kept an eye on the golden Latios as he retreated back, most likely going somewhere else in the garden. _'Why didn't you tell me that you were a queen?'_ It sounded like that was the most important thing currently for Reshiram, looking at Latias with utmost interest. _'And who exactly was that? He certainly didn't bother hiding his intentions.'_

' _You can say that again. I just want to forget that he even appeared,'_ Latias replied, banishing the thoughts of the golden Latios from her mind. Trying to focus on something else, Latias saw that Ash was thinking about something. Following his gaze, she could see that he was looking in the direction where Zelgius had disappeared. Wanting to say something, Latias stayed quiet as she continued watching Ash stare in that direction.

"What exactly did he want from you, Latias?" It was a question he hadn't want to ask, but he had not been particularly comfortable in the presence of the golden Latios. The way he had looked at Latias had riled him up more than it should have. Even Latias hadn't looked very happy at seeing him, so there was clearly something going on. "Has he done anything to you?"

' _No, not really. He's one of the many Latios living here, being one of the strongest among his kind. Seeing how I am the strongest Latias here he has taken it on himself to try and court me,'_ Latias explained, a smile tugging at her lips. _'Did you see how he looked at you? I thought he was going to explode at any moment. I nearly wish that he had done that.'_

"Hey Latias, have you ever thought about leaving Alto Mare for a longer period of time?" Ash's heart started beating faster as he spoke, having a hard time asking. He had faced more life threatening situations than he could count, and simply asking his crush a simple question like that was too hard for him? He couldn't believe himself. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to. There's enough time to decide what you really want."

' _I don't need any time to think about what I want!'_ Latias shouted, dashing forward to envelop Ash in a hug. Even Ash could feel the happiness radiating from Latias, her grip on him increasing in strength. Smiling, Ash hugged her back, but with less force behind it. _'This is what I've been waiting for all these years! This has been my biggest dream since we met!_

Reshiram playfully nudged Latias with her leg, earning a small giggle from the younger dragon. _'This will be great, all of us travelling together! Isn't that great, little one~?'_ Reshiram asked, continuing to nudge Latias. Ash nodded, trying to push Reshiram's leg away as her attention shifted to him. They continued like that for another minute or so, until Pikachu interrupted them. _'Are you saying we should explore the city too? I haven't been among humans for a very, very long time. I was never a big form of transforming into a human.'_

That was a fact Ash had never known about. "You can transform into a human? Can every legendary do that, and why did you never do that?" Ash wondered, Reshiram's words being the only explanation he got. He supposed that he wouldn't like to be transformed into a Pokemon for a longer period either, so he could see where Reshiram was coming from at least. "Is that uncomfortable to transform into a human for a longer period?"

' _It depends. I tend to think that, where as Latias seeming has no problems with it. Also, no, most legendaries can't transform into humans. I can do it, as can Zekrom. Kyurem should also be able to do it. Latis can do that too, if they are proficient enough at using their psychic powers. Arceus can transform into anything really, Rayquaza can do it too. Else only with the help of Arceus is it possible to transform into a human.'_ Reshiram explained, three pair of ears listening to her words. Focusing her powers, Reshiram imagined how she wanted to look like, and started the transformation process. Deciding to join her, soon both dragons were glowing white as they transformed into their human forms. Looking at both, Ash had a hard time taking his eyes off Latias. Reshiram wasn't slacking, but something drew his focus to Latias. _'It looks like he only has eyes for you, Latias.'_

Shaking his head, Ash looked in a completely different direction, trying to remove the blush from his face. "Shall we go?" Holding out his arms, Pikachu quickly climbed up his arm, taking her usual position. Receiving nods from dragon-turned-humans, Ash walked back the way they come, many of the Latis following them with their eyes. Soon they were back at the wall, walking through it. Ash still didn't like it. "Any ideas where we should go, Latias?"

Still somewhat caught up on Reshiram's words, it took Latias a weak shove from the bigger legendary, to respond. _'Well, there's a large park not far from here where we could go. It's a beautiful place, even though sometimes some trainers will battle there, with there being more than enough space for them to battle without being in the way of others,'_ Latias suggested to her two, or three, companions. With no one complaining, she started to lead them in the direction of the park. _'Then there's a place that Bianca showed where we maybe could eat lunch, once we're hungry.'_

"I will happily take you up on that offer." Ash joked, a weak growl already coming from his stomach, prompting laughs from everyone else as well. Soon they found themselves laughing about different things as they continued their trip to the park.

* * *

"You were right when you said that this park was beautiful," Ash said, sitting on one of the many benches throughout the park, his hands behind his head as Pikachu was lying in his lap and Latias and Reshiram were sitting on one side each. They had explored the park, being big to warrant an exploration, and soon found themselves exhausted. Multiple trainers had been battling throughout the park, and Ash had even been challenged, but had declined everyone, either because he didn't know if any of the trainers were on his level or because he simply preferred spending time with them. "How about we eventually have a battle Latias, either together against one of my other Pokemon or against each other?"

' _Battle?'_ Latias asked surprised, her mouth open as she looked at Ash. She had never thought about it. If she planned on travelling with Ash, wouldn't being his Pokemon be the best solution? And that meant she would have to be capable of battling, beyond the little training she had done with some of the other Latis. _'I'm not that great of a battler.'_

' _You're worrying to much,'_ Reshiram spoke, smiling at Latias. She had known how to battle from the start, never having a need to learn it. Most Pokemon didn't know how to battle, besides relying on their instincts. But that could only take one so far. And, she had eventually adapted to be able to be used by Ash in a battle, should the need ever arise. Reaching around her hero, Reshiram gave the younger dragon a pat on the back. _'I was born with the knowledge of how to battle, but I eventually trained with Ash to get a feel for how a battle between two trainers would go. It's quite different from what I knew.'_

"It will be great! And with you not having the same sort of experiences as Reshiram, it will be a lot easier to teach you everything," Ash continued, wrapping an arm around Latias. Able to stop himself from blushing, Ash noticed that Latias wasn't as lucky and was now wearing a dark red blush on her cheeks. He really shouldn't be this bold, but if he wanted it to be more than a crush, he had to make it clear to her. "Do you think we could have a battle back in the garden, or would be other Latis disapprove of it? Because, we can't really have it here."

' _If I really wanted to, the others really couldn't say something, unless the overwhelming majority were against it,'_ Latias replied, finally managing to push back her blush, and enjoy being held by Ash. Just as she gotten rid of her blush, Ash pulled her into him, making her squeak, a high pitched noise coming out of her mouth, clearly not belonging to a human. Reshiram laughed through her telepathy, not wanting to try her luck and hope that her normal voice gave a passable laugh. _'What're you laughing about?'_

' _When are you two going to confess?_ ' Reshiram joked, laughing together with Pikachu, while the other two didn't share their humor. They eventually went quiet, while Latias still blushed in Ash's embrace. _'Girl, he's being as obvious as he can be right now, and you're not doing anything about it? He's giving you the best chance you could ever imagine!'_

' _What if he doesn't feel like that?!'_ Latias asked back, knowing Ash hadn't heard the last part. For all she knew, he could be doing everything without any sort of meaning behind it, so acting on it without being complete sure was a bad idea. If she did make a move, and she was wrong, she would most likely die of embarrassment. _'Not gonna happen!'_

"What are you two talking about? It's not nice to leave someone out of the conversation," Ash interrupted chuckling, Latias trying her best to turn away from him. Even though he couldn't hear the conversation, he knew that they had been talking to each other. They wouldn't have been that quiet for such a long time without having a conversation of their own. They hadn't included in the conversation for a reason, so he wouldn't bother prying and find out what they said. As he was about to say something, a loud growl came from his stomach, much to his chagrin. "Does the offer for lunch still stand, Latias?"

' _Of course it does,'_ Latias responded, quickly standing up. Taking that as a sign that they were leaving, Ash told Pikachu to sit on his shoulder as he stood up, followed by Reshiram. Heading for the nearest exit, Ash tried to figured out where they were going. _'It's a wonderful place that Bianca showed me, and it's not very far from here.'_

"I hope my expectations are well placed then," Ash said, once again walking between the two dragons, unable to stop himself from sneaking glances at Latias as they walked at a leisurely pace. He wondered what others were doing in the meantime, after they had simply left them alone. Looking around as they walked, Ash tried to get some sense of direction, so if he should go on his own hopefully could find back. They fell in a comfortable silence, Latias leading the way as they soon found themselves at the water and one of the major streets in Alto Mare. With it already being quite late, and lunch time nearing, the street was bustling with people, going about a multitude of things. Many were probably tourists, like they were, except Latias, while many also most likely were inhabitants of the city, enjoying the free time they got on a weekend. Thankfully it wasn't afternoon yet, were most people were likely to appear and enjoy the day walking along the street and its many shops. Only a few minutes later and they were standing outside a nice looking restaurant, only being half filled with lunchtime being a little later. Which meant that they wouldn't need to wait or try to find a table in the overcrowded restaurant. "Come on, let's get inside. Should I do the talking?"

' _That would be nice. Last time I was here, Bianca introduced me as a mute relative,'_ Latias explained, Ash nodding, She knew that she also was speaking for Reshiram. Neither of them could really speak, and in her case she couldn't read either. Maybe she could ask Ash or Bianca to teach her, seeing that it was a rather useful skill. _'What're you waiting for?'_

Heading in first, Ash was greeted by a variety of smells, coming from the many dishes being prepared and eaten by the customers that were there. Approaching the counter, the man behind it looked up from whatever he was doing and gave them a big smile. "Welcome!" Gesturing towards the somewhat empty restaurant, Ash took it as a signal that they could pick any empty table they wanted. Taking a seat at the table, his two companions soon joined him as the man from before approached them. Holding three menus, he handed them one each, before taking out a small notebook and a pen. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Water for all of us," Ash didn't bother waiting for a response from the others, keeping it simple. The man nodded, not having needed to write anything down as returned behind the counter again. Looking through the menu, Ash eyes widened. There were a lot of different things to choose from. "This place is great, Latias. Decided what any of you want yet?"

' _It's rather rude to simply speak for us without asking first,'_ Reshiram complained. completely ignoring Ash's question. Attention back on the menu, she browsed through it, having a hard time on deciding what to order. Glancing at Latias, she saw that the younger dragon simply was looking at the menu, her eyes not moving, and not having looked past the first page a single time. _'I think Latias might need some help. Can you help her?'_

"Huh?" Trying to understand what Reshiram meant, Ash didn't need long to see what she meant. It was adorable actually how Latias tried to read it, even though it was blatantly obvious that she couldn't. "Hey, do you need a hand in choosing, Latias?"

Her cheeks flared up, slowly nodding as she moved her chair closer to Ash's, while Ash did the same. Starting to explain what everything was, Latias was shortly after to pick one of the many dishes. _'Thanks for the help, Ash,'_ A radiant smile graced her lips, Ash lighting up at her words. _'I'll take the caesar salad. What about you?'_

Waving over the man from before, Ash waited for him to get to there table, Reshiram telling him what she wanted in the meantime. "For me it will be spaghetti bolognese, while my two friends both will take the caesar salad," Writing down their orders, the man once again went behind the counter, this time though entering the kitchen. "So, unless we plan on finding the others and spend time with them, we need something do. Got any ideas?"

* * *

 **I'm just itching to jump forward in their relationship, but that would kinda ruin everything, wouldn't it? As usual, I hope you enjoyed it. If you did or simply want to say something, good or bad, leave a review. They're much appreciated. Next chapter will be out in at latest two weeks, hopefully earlier. Except there to be even more awkward moments between Ash and Latias, more teasing from Reshiram, and a lot of blushing. Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm sorry? I truly am sorry for it nearly taking a month for me to publish this chapter. I started writing it shortly after the last one, but then simply had to take a break, and it kept going on. I managed to get it together, though I feel like my writing throughout hasn't been consistent. So, as usual enjoy and review if you like!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

' _Do you think this is a good idea?'_ Latias asked, floating on one side of her personal area, Ash standing on the other side, Pikachu in front of him. After lunch they had returned to the garden, once again earning some looks from the other Lati, but far less than the first time. Having transformed back, Reshiram was sitting down and watching everything unfold right before her. _'No, I won't change my mind now. This is what I wanted. I'm ready!'_

"You heard her, Pikachu. Quick Attack!" Ash called to his starter, already dashing forward at an incredible speed. Holding back was no option, no matter how inexperienced Latias was in a setting like this. What she lacked in experience was made up by her strength, which was very high compared to many Pokemon. The prospect of having Latias by his side was something he looked forward to, only having to hope that she wanted to leave the garden to go with him. Shaking his head, Ash saw Pikachu evade to the side as a Dragon Pulse soared past him. Returning to his original path, there was the perfect opening. "Iron Tail!"

Flipping in the air, Latias waited until the last moment until she flew backwards. Pikachu's tail slamming in the ground, getting stuck. Now was her chance! _'Take this!'_ Focusing her psychic energy, Pikachu soon found himself face to face with a small blob of blue and purple, Psyshock. Pushing the attack away, Latias knew that there was no way for Pikachu to dodge, not with close he was, and how his tail was stuck in the ground. A grunt was the only sound coming from Pikachu, the proximity and force behind the attack flinging him backwards. Landing on the ground, he quickly recovered and didn't look worse for wear than he had before the attack. _'How was that?'_

"Not bad at all, but not good enough! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash shouted, Pikachu doing a flip as it quickly gathered the needed electricity on her tail, forming it into a ball and throwing it at her opponent. Not reacting fast enough, the attack struck Latias directly in the head, a light yelp escaping her. Even though she was a dragon and took less damage from electricity, it still hurt. "Now, go for another Quick Attack while she's recovering!"

Trying to shake off the pain, Latias soon found Pikachu rapidly closing in on her. Deciding on her approach, Latias pulled back a little, mimicking Pikachu. She wasn't a physical fighter by any means, but that didn't mean she wasn't able to pack a punch beyond her psychic powers. Colliding with the small Pokemon, she didn't find herself on the end of any pain this time, instead Pikachu was knocked backwards by the attack, her weight increasing the strength behind the attack by quite a bit. _'Are you ready for more?'_ She shouldn't be this confident, seeing that Ash most likely wasn't giving it his all, but still. Only getting a grin in response, Latias was given no time as Pikachu sent another Electro Ball her way. This time though she was able to dodge it, countering with her own Psyshock. Being highly agile, Pikachu had no problem dodging her attack. She really didn't want to damage the garden, but if she actually wanted to win she most likely had to. _'Draco Meteor!'_

"Draco Meteor? Aw shit," Ash should have known that she could know that move. Every Dragon-type could learn it, and why wouldn't a legendary know it? There was nothing he could do to stop the attack, so he could only watch as Latias shot the orb of draconic towards the sky. The attack in itself was always a sight for the eye, opposite to the terror it was for any Pokemon being targeted by it. Soon, meteors were falling from the sky, striking into the ground relentlessly. "Use them as stepping stones, Pikachu!"

' _Huh?'_ Trying to figure what Pikachu was harder than she thought, watching him jump on the falling meteors, moving closer to her while also going higher and higher. Where as she outside its range, Latias watched Reshiram take a few steps backward, her dress, which looked eerily familiar to her true form, and cyan ponytail moving because of all shockwaves being created by each meteor. Pikachu kept climbing higher, soon finding himself at the top. What exactly was Ash planning to do? Pikachu was too far away to use any physical attacks, and his electrical attacks would barely do anything that range.

"Volt Tacke!" Ash shouted, both dragons staring him in disbelief. He didn't win battles through playing it safe. He won through his ability to come up with ideas in the heat of battle, using any tool available to him. If Draco Meteor was one of them, so be it. "GO!"

Staring with big eyes, Latias was frozen as she saw Pikachu jumped from the highest meteor still in the air, electricity sparkling around him as he fell, and his speed increased at a rapid pace. She knew that she should move away, unless she wanted to endure a lot of pain, though she simply couldn't. It didn't take long before her entire body felt pain, barely able to contain a scream. She had never felt such immense pain, and was unable to keep herself afloat, falling to the ground. She could hear Ash's voice say something, clearly being worried about her, Pikachu carefully patting her head. _'That hurt.'_

"I would hope so, else Pikachu would take a big hit to her pride," Ash said jokingly, joining Pikachu, patting her head lightly. She knew though that this was a terrible performance, and it was far away from making her usable in a battle by Ash. She would need to train really hard if she wanted to battle by his side, and maybe even score him a win. "You did well though, especially for your first real battle. Next time I'll guide you instead, alright?"

' _That wasn't terrible, you know? For someone who never has battled like this that was quite good,'_ Reshiram praised Latias, helping her back up before the bruised dragon transformed into her human form, there being no signs on of the battle that had just taken place. _'I was surprised you actually managed yourself for a while there. I'll help you get stronger.'_

"Enough talk about that," Ash said, ruffling Reshiram's teal ponytail, getting an annoyed huff in response, her dress fluttering through the movement. Moving over to the big tree, which thankfully had stayed unharmed during the ordeal, they sat down next to each other, leaning against the trunk. Sitting there, with the sun shining, under the shadow of the tree, Ash couldn't have been more content than he was currently. About to close his eyes and just relax, he spotted two Latias approaching them, a Latios and a Latias. "Hey, who're they?"

Following the gaze of her soon to be trainer, she hoped, Latias saw who Ash was talking about. She was actually to see them, and she could introduce them to Ash at the same time. Hopefully Reshiram wouldn't scare them away. _'They're family, I guess you could call them,'_

She explained, seeing Ash's features harden. Maybe that wasn't the best way of describing it to him. _'We're not related by any means. I simply took them under my wing after they appeared. They are parentless like me, and they needed someone to guide them.'_

"Oh," Ash didn't know what to say. The moment Latias had said family he had tensed up. It simply hadn't sat well with him that she could have been together with someone. He knew that he shouldn't be that possessive, but he couldn't help himself. It didn't take long for the two Latis to reach them, both going for Latias first, saying something he couldn't understand. Glancing at Reshiram, he could see her smiling, obviously understanding whatever was said between the three. Looking at the new Latias, she was the smallest of the three, being smaller than the Latios, which was obvious, but also smaller than _his_ Latias. Hey Latias, are you going to introduce us?"

Before Latias could say anything, the smaller Latias was already rapidly speaking. _'So you're that human she has been admiring!'_ That was certainly news to Ash, although good ones at that. _'She has told us so much about the savior of Alto Mare and_ her _savior!'_

' _Be quiet, Lily,'_ the Latios spoke, his voice having a deeper tone to it, not only coming from him being a Latios. He clearly was calmer, his words coming out slower compared to his companion. ' _I'm sorry about. My sister tends to get a little too excited sometimes.'_

Siblings? That would explain why Latias had taken them under her wing. Putting on a smile, Ash remembered that Pokemon had names, though many stopped using them if they were caught by a trainer. He could only wonder what Latias' name was. "There's nothing to apologize for. I wasn't very different from her when I was younger, and you shouldn't hinder her from enjoying herself," Ash responded grinning, looking at Latias as he said those words. Looking back to Latias, one question came to the front of his mind. "How exactly did you end up under Latias' care? It's not like every Lati here has a relation with her like you do, right?"

' _We never really knew our parents, so we have been taking care of ourselves and living alone for most of our lives,'_ The younger Latias, now Lily, told him at a very fast pace. Her brother looked like he wanted to say something, but he never got the chance. _'Eventually we found our way here with the help of some other Latis who made this their home, and then we met her! Now that I think about it, you never told us why you took us under your wing!'_

With four pair of eyes focused on her, Latias blushed a little at all the attention she got, looking away from them. To her surprise, and enjoyment, Ash pulled her into his lap, her instincts kicking in to keep herself afloat. It only took her a second to stop resisting as she found her head now resting in Ash's lap, the rest of her body lying on the ground next to him.

' _Well, I saw myself and my brother in you. We didn't really have any parents either, instead having Lorenzo and later Bianca take care of us. You deserved to have someone take care of you, so I took it upon myself to do it,'_ Latias told all of them, wearing a smile the entire time. She vividly remembered finding them, huddled together in a corner of the garden, with Leo always being on the lookout. She had carefully approached them, Leo glaring at her in an attempt to keep her away, but she wouldn't let herself be stopped. _'Leo absolutely tried to keep me away from Lily, but he knew that wouldn't be able to do anything if I wanted to harm them. What exactly about me did scare you? I wasn't showing any bad intentions at all.'_

A light grow escaped Leo, followed by a chuckle from Ash. _'Do you have something to say?'_ Leo asked, glaring at Ash. It didn't really have any effect on him other than increasing his amusement at the situation. _'I was young, alright? It had been too long since we had any sort of contact with other Latis, and could I know who you were? At least you told me eventually.'_

Ash had no problem imagining Latias act as a sort of parent to those two. He had only known Latios for a short time, but he was pretty sure that he and Leo were pretty similar. Latias and Lily were identical, even though Latias still sometimes acted like the younger Latias. The thought of Latias being a parent made his heart beat at an incredible speed. He could see Reshiram grinning at him. How he hated that she could feel his emotions so easily and understand them. He could do the same if he really tried, never succeeding with her shielding her emotions so well when she didn't want him to feel them. "So, you're a family now? I sometimes wonder what having a family like this would be like," Ash wasn't sure if he just was seeing things, or if Reshiram's grin turned into a genuine smile. He returned his attention back to Latias, and like before he wasn't sure if he was just seeing things. The way he said it couldn't have been more obvious, and hopefully it had hit home. Which it most likely had if Latias' blush was anything to go by. "That's a long way off though."

' _I hope you do. Everyone deserves to be able to create a family of their own,'_ Latias replied, ignoring that Leo's eyes were narrowing as Ash had spoken. She wasn't sure what to think of Ash's words. He didn't have to mean anything with them. But what if he did? Going with the first option, Latias told herself that he hadn't meant anything with them. _'Is anyone of you up for a round of hide and seek? I haven't played that in such a long time.'_

' _Oh, I'm all for it!'_ Lily shouted, flying around in a circle around Latias in excitement. She soon started nudging everyone so they could get started with the game. It wasn't particularly hard for her to get Latias to move, neither did Reshiram who took it a bit slower though. Ash and Pikachu didn't much convincing either, and only her brother refused to budge for quite some time. Eventually he gave in as well. _'So, who will seek first?'_

Ash didn't want to think badly of Latias in any way, but before now she hadn't been like she had been all those years ago. Sure, she was happy, smiled and laughed a lot. She had lost her playfulness though, something instead now being present in Lily. A simple game of hide and seek seemingly changed that. If he would look at the two Latias present he probably couldn't see a difference besides size. "I'll go first. And Pikachu, you'll have hide with someone." Ash offered willingly, closing his eyes as he began counting. Soon he reached the end of his countdown, his eyes opening very fast. "Better be ready, because I'm coming!"

Having heard Ash's call, Latias stopped moving, trying to be as silent as possible as she lay atop one of the many branches belonging to the large tree. With Pikachu not at Ash's side, she had told him to come with her, now sitting on her back as they were hiding. She had decided on her hiding spot based on two facts. It shouldn't be too obvious, neither should it be impossible to find her. _'Do you think Ash will find us up here, Pikachu?'_ They wouldn't be seen unless you actually looked. A simple glance wouldn't do to find them. She could have looked for a better spot, but there was no fun if you were impossible to find. Thankfully she could talk without being heard, while Pikachu was able to keep his voice low enough to not be detected by Ash. She wondered where the others were hiding. Reshiram would be as limited as any human would be, her Pokemon form not helping her in her task. Leo and Lily probably didn't have any problems either. Below her, the sound of steps alerted her, drawing her attention to Ash walking toward the tree. Then she felt the itch in her throat. _'Uh-oh. Pikachu, you better hide somewhere else. I can't hold in the sneeze that's coming.'_

Ash knew that Latias, and the other Lati had a clear advantage when it came to hiding, seeing how they simply fly somewhere high up and hide. What didn't keep them hidden very well though was a sneeze, coming from above him. Looking up, Ash thought he could spot something red among the many leaves and branches of the tree they had rested under not too long ago. To his knowledge, nothing red belonged in a tree at this time of the year. "Hey Latias, you can come down from there!" After some rustling, Latias slowly came down, a look of disappointment on her face, Pikachu on her back. Of course Pikachu would hide with her. He had expected her to go with Reshiram, seeing how they had been in each other's company for a long time. "Let's go looking for the others, shall we?"

' _It's so unfair playing against you!'_ Lily complained with a pout, resting next to her brother in the sun. She had found the perfect hiding place, but everything had to be ruined by the Pikachu finding her. What originally was a simple game of hide and seek had turned into a game tag. Not wanting to accept her defeat, Lily had chosen to run, which lead to her, Ash, Pikachu and Latias being the only ones exhausted. _'I'm too tired for another round.'_

"And who's fault is that?" Ash asked, Latias' head resting in his lap after being the one who had caught up to Lily. Not that he did mind that they were exhausted, especially if it lead to something like this. Reshiram had found a spot next to him while Pikachu had joined her. He hadn't have had this much fun in a long time. Sure, battling was what he enjoyed the most, but really having fun like this was a rare occasion for him. Also, there still had been no sign from the others, already multiple hours since they split up. At that moment a Glaceon came running at them, followed by three familiar faces. "There you are! What have you been doing this entire time? Telling us that would you leave wasn't an option, was it?"

"It didn't hurt anyone, right?" Bianca asked innocently wearing a grin. By the looks of it, everything had worked out perfectly, if the sight in front of her was any indication. The only reason she had urged the others to leave with her was to get Ash and Latias closer, at least so they had a good starting point from where she could continue pushing them in the right direction. Maybe she wouldn't have to do that. "Well, I was showing May and Brock around the city. We actually found that there will be a competition for trainers starting later today while we were at it. Maybe that's something for you, Ash."

"A competition you say? That doesn't sound like a bad idea. I should most likely participate there to make sure I don't lose my edge," Ash responded. He really hoped there would be some strong trainers for him to battle there. There would be no point if they weren't experienced enough to keep up with him. "Is there anything special about it?"

Brock shook his head. "Not what we could understand. You have to sign up early though, so I would recommend doing it now. Unless you plan on being late," Brock explained, laughing as Ash groaned. Too many experiences with being late taught Ash a valuable lesson, but Brock didn't hesitate to remind him every now and then. From what he had seen as they were walking around the area where the tournament was to be held, he had seen multiple trainers have their Pokemon outside, and they looked like anything but weak. He had entertained the thought about participating himself, deciding against it in the end though. He wasn't going to take a shot at becoming the Kanto Champion, so Ash would need every opportunity to battle he could get. "I think the tournament starts in an hour or so, and you were required to be signed up and there half an hour before it starts. Seeing how we're going to cheer you on we might as well go with you now."

"Do you want to come along?" Ash asked, the question directed at Lily and Leo. Where as Leo only shook his head, Lily looked rather sad at the prospect of not leaving the garden. If Latias could leave, why couldn't they leave? Then it hit him. They were most likely to young to be able to transform, or lacked the ability to stay in that form for a longer period of time, like Latias and Reshiram could. "You can't transform, right? I'm sorry to hear that."

' _It's nothing to worry about. We'll be able to do that eventually,'_ Leo spoke, gesturing towards the garden exit. Smiling, Ash turned around, heading for the exit. Making sure everyone was following, he saw Latias transform into her human form. Leaving last, Ash shot a glance over his shoulder. _'You better win this with everything she has told us about her savior.'_

Stretching out his arm, Ash held up his thumb as he walked through the wall. Nodding at his friends, he trailed behind them as Pikachu walked by his side. They walked in silence, the only sound coming from ahead of them where Brock was telling the others something. It didn't take them long to reach a bigger square, a battlefield set up in the middle of it and a plethora of trainers surrounding it. Waving through the trainers, they soon found the booth where every trainer could sign up. Getting the girl's attention who manned the booth, Ash shot her a smile. "I would like to sign up for the tournament," The girl handed him a paper he needed to fill out. Name, how many Pokemon he had with him and so on. Looking through the paper again to make sure he hadn't missed anything he handed it back, getting a quick 'thank you' from the girl. "Are there any special rules or something I should know?"

"The tournament format is king of the hill," Ash had to grin as she said those words. He had taken part in a few of those, and they were some of the most fun battles he had had. Every battle was a 1 vs 1 and whoever stood on the battle victorious by the end of the tournament had won. "Whoever is the 'king' can challenge anyone he wants, or wait for someone to challenge him. There's a time limit on each battle, only going up to three minutes. The tournament only lasts one hour. Whoever stands last will get a sum of 1000 g."

"Alright, thanks," Ash replied, leaving the booth behind as he returned to the others. Explaining how everything would work, surprise was what everyone felt. "I won't battle until the end. Whoever is left at the end is most likely the strongest trainer here, and what would I get by beating trainers who won't at least challenge me? And unless you would sign up I would have no guarantee that there are a multitude of strong trainers."

A few hours had passed and one trainer had managed to keep his spot atop the hill for a very long time now. This was his chance. No one had stepped up to the challenge yet, and unless the 'king' would pick someone there would be no battle. "Hey, I'll take you on!" Ash called, all the attention on him as he walked up the steps to the battlefield. His opponent was around his age, maybe a few years older. He was wearing mostly black and grey clothes, with something looking like a blue scarf around his neck, also having black hair like he did. Standing next to him was his Charizard, looking very much like his own Charizard, the major difference being that his opponent's Charizard was wearing a Mega Stone around its neck, but it hadn't been used throughout the entire time. "You're up for it, right?"

"Hmpf, you seem confident enough. Alright, we will battle. Don't expect me to go easy on though," It didn't take them long to find their positions, his Charizard walking forward as Pikachu left Ash's shoulder and readied herself for a fight. "A Pikachu? If you think you can win against my Charizard be my guest. That won't happen though. I hope you're ready, because here we go! Charizard, Flamethrower!"

"Pikachu, dodge it and use Electro Ball!" Ash quickly reacted, already thinking of ways to use Pikachu speed to his advantage. His own Charizard was most likely his strongest Pokemon. He was bulky, he possessed more strength than nearly any of his Pokemon and he was still fast enough to keep up with anyone besides the fastest Pokemon out there. Obviously he had also studied the flaws, among them being his size. He was an easy target for faster Pokemon and attacks, while not able to handle extremely high speed well, which both Pikachu and Sceptile had while also backing it up with a lot of power. Plus, Pikachu had the type advantage on Charizard, something he couldn't rely on though. Having dodged the incoming Flamethrower, Pikachu flung the ball at her flying opponent who simply batted it away with a Dragon Claw. "If that's how it will be then take this. Iron Tail!"

Charizard, who had been airborne, started to descend preparing another Dragon Claw to meet Pikachu's Iron Tail. Expecting an easy hit, the black haired trainer was surprised to see his Charizard struggle against the Iron Tail. "Shove that Pikachu away and then go with Steel Wing!" The trainer he was facing wasn't even looking worried as his Charizard managed to push the Pikachu back towards the ground, already in free fall. Instead, he radiated a confidence very few trainers possessed. Watching Charizard close the gap, his eyes widened as Charizard stop mid-air because a Thunderbolt struck him right before he could get in a clean hit. Thankfully he recovered rather fast, giving him another opportunity. "Wing Attack!"

Ash knew there nothing to be done as Pikachu was hit by Charizard's Wing Attack, but that didn't mean he would simply wait. Glancing to the side, he could see that already a minute had passed. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball again and then Quick Attack!" Still in air, Pikachu managed to spin in order increase the momentum behind her attack before she landed on the ground. Hitting once again, and with Charizard approaching the ground, it didn't take Pikachu a lot of effort to reach him. Rapidly increasing her speed, she jumped in order to reach him. Not reacting fast enough, Pikachu got in a clean hit, pushing Charizard back a little. "What was that about it won't happen? Thunderbolt!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" This wasn't going how it was supposed to go. None of the others trainers had really been able to match him blow for blow. This trainer though was simply keeping up with him as if it was nothing. He itched to have Charizard Mega Evolve, but that wouldn't be particularly fair to his opponent. Just as Charizard was about to open his maw to release the fire gathered inside the Thunderbolt hit him, stopping him from attacking. To say that he was annoyed was an understatement. "Enough of this! Charizard, Blast Burn!"

The timer was down to one minute. "Volt Tackle!" Multiple times throughout this battle, Pikachu had managed to get in an attack while Charizard had been charging up his, resulting in somewhat of a lead. Before people had been watching with some interest, but now everyone's attention was completely on the battle, it being the highlight of the entire tournament. Watching as Pikachu was sprinting towards Charizard, who was in the air, Ash soon found himself holding his breath as Pikachu kept increasing her speed. "Now!"

He knew that it would be a close call, the Blast Burn not fully charged up yet. The Pikachu was already in the air, rapidly approaching Charizard. "Prepare yourself," He ordered, knowing that there was a big risk with this attack. The safer option would be to tell Charizard to dodge, but that would simply prolong the battle. He didn't like hurting his Pokemon, though there wasn't any option really left. Charizard had needed too long to charge up his attack, and now the Pikachu was nearly right in front of him. "Fire!"

The collision between the incoming Blast Burn and Pikachu forced everyone to cover themselves in order to avoid the brunt of the shockwave coming down on them. With smoke blocking any vision, it was only waiting that was possible until the smoke cleared. Not long after that, Pikachu was falling out of the cloud, making sure she would land on her legs as a bruised Charizard followed. Both Pokemon managed to reach the ground, not looking particularly steady on their legs as they stared at each other. Then the timer hit zero.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, rushing to the side of his starter and crouching down in order to make sure she was alright. He could see that his opponent was doing the same, eventually recalling his Charizard though. Scooping her up in his arms, he held her close to his chest as he looked her over. Finding nothing to be wrong, except the usual after a battle, Ash looked up as he saw his opponent approach him, clipping his pokeball to his belt. "You know, I wonder how this would have gone had there been no timer or this been a full 6 on 6 battle."

"We won't find out. I do admit that I underestimated you and your Pikachu," He replies, holding out his hand. Waiting for his to take it, he watched as the trainer carefully placed Pikachu on his shoulder. He had definitely underestimated this trainer, and if they would ever meet again, he wouldn't do the same mistake. As his opponent shook his hand, a weak smile graced his lips. He looked forward to another meeting. "I hope we will meet again."

Following the trainer with his gaze, Ash soon lost him all among all the other trainers surrounding them, all excitedly discussing the battle that had just taken place. Making sure Pikachu was steady on his shoulder, he weaved through the masses as he tried to find his friends among them. Soon he spotted Bianca's beret sticking out, which meant that everyone else would also be there. Approaching them, he noticed that Latias had gone missing. "Hey guys," Ash greeted his friends, all turning in his direction smiling. The majority of what they said was praise, Bianca being the most impressed of them, only having seen Pokemon battles on tv. Looking around, there was still no sign on Latias, the others not seeming to really care though. They continued talking a little, about his opponent among things, but eventually he had to ask. "Does anyone of you know where Latias went?"

' _I'm right here,'_ Came Latias' voice, two hands covering his eyes. A soft giggle accompanied the hands. There was really no point in what Latias was doing, but he decided to humor her nontheless. Where as he could have simply removed her hands, he let her keep them over his eyes, not sure if she was planning anything. _'Aren't you going to say something?'_

' _If you two lovebirds are done I would like to move on,'_ Reshiram interrupted anything he was about to say his cheeks getting warmer. Latias quickly removed her hands, turning away as he was about to look at her. Liking someone in such a way was more frustrating than he thought was possible. Even worse was that he still wasn't a step closer to telling her. Sure, he had tried to show her it without being too obvious, but he wasn't even sure if she had even taken notice of it. _'Also, it has far too long since my last meal. Don't you think so too, little one~? Do you know of a place where we can eat, Bianca?'_

"Well, there's a great place, but it would take us around half an hour to get there," Bianca responded, looking at her watch. It was around five now and they would be there shortly after five. By the time they would be done it would be far into the evening already. She just had to hope that they had a table for six. "Are you guys okay with that too?"

A growl from Ash's stomach aided them in their decision. "Let's go!"

"You're still up?" Brock asked, walking out on the balcony that connected to their room. Like on the day they decided to go to Altomare, he had found his friend staring at the sky with Pikachu at his side. He had through pure coincidence woken up, and noticed the empty sleeping bag belong to Ash. He simply let it pass, and instead headed to quell his thirst. As he returned there had still been no sign of Ash, so he had looked out at the balcony, spotting him standing there. "What are you thinking about this time? Do you need another talk?"

He didn't even bother to turn around as Brock spoke, a smile tugging at his lips. Always trust Brock to take care of you in any way possible. "I came here because my heart told me so. And now that I'm hear I don't even know how to actually approach the problem," Ash said, staring at the many stars that could be seen. He had been as direct as possible with his intention without directly spelling it out, but he didn't even know if Latias had understood the meaning behind his actions. "I've tried my best. Does it even work though?"

Brock couldn't help but laugh. It was interesting to see Ash for once not take the direct approach, though he could understand why he didn't. The topic of love wasn't the easiest to breach. "I think you should return to what you do best. Take the challenge head on," Brock suggested. He had tried multiple times, personally never succeeding. What Ash felt was love, and not fleeting affection. "Maybe not go to her and confess, but something more obvious."

"I-" Ash started, stopping before he said anything. Brock was right, he had too take a more direct approach. And he would start tomorrow with it. He would show Latias that he cared for her, and wanted to spend more time with her. Maybe not an outright confession, unless she showed signs of her own, and he felt bold enough. "Right as always, Brock."

"What would you do without me?" Came the reply, a chuckling accompanying it.

"I'm not sure. What would I without you? Maybe try and use your tactics to woo girls?" Ash countered, now laughing, though keeping somewhat low. He didn't want to wake Dawn.

"Oh god, please don't. Just because I haven't succeed doesn't mean you need to fail either." And with that they head back inside, not saying anything else as they returned to their sleeping bags.

* * *

 **I still dislike the first battle scene. Now, I'm sure most of you can guess who Ash battled later on in the chapter. Decided to not call him by name, as Ash didn't know it either. You can also guess where next chapter will be going, I hope. Hopefully I won't need a month to finish it. Also, I suppose this is as good of a time as any to thank all of you who have read, review, followed and favorited this story so far. Thank you. I'll see you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's Chapter 6, which contains something, I hope, you have looked forward to. Also, watching XY and XYZ really keeps one motivated and gives possible ideas. Nothing else of importance really, so enjoy and leave a review if got something to say!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

' _Ash, where are we going?'_ Latias asked, barely getting out of her chair after having finished breakfast as Ash had grabbed her hand and started dragging her along. Eventually she had managed to catch up to him, and now they were walking next to each other, hand in hand. Having recovered from her shock, she soon found herself interested in what Ash had in mind, giving his hand a squeeze. _'Ash?'_ She tried again, silence being the only response she was receiving. As Ash had dragged her out of the house, they had gotten a weird look from May, a surprised one from Brock, where as Bianca had winked at them. Which had all gone unnoticed by Ash, only focusing on taking her somewhere. _'What are we doing?'_

"Where would the fun be if I told you?" Ash finally responded, smiling all the while he lead Latias to their destination. It was a spur of the moment thing, Bianca mentioning it to him during breakfast. Thanks to his talk with Brock the previous day he knew what he had to do in order to try and convey what he felt. "It's a surprise, alright?" He tried to not look at her, keeping his attention on the street as they walked. But he couldn't stop himself looking at her, taking in all of her features. His mind tried to compare her to Bianca, knowing that was how she looked when he first met her, besides the few years difference. Her hair was still styled the same way as it had before, though it had gotten longer by quite a bit and most of it was now flowing along her back. Besides that she was wearing a red headband, a sleeveless green t-shirt with straps and some, _very_ short, blue shorts. He wouldn't complain though. She was pouting, seemingly on purpose looking in a completely different direction from him. "Will you be happy if I tell you? Bianca told me about that the festival today. I thought we could go."

She was pretty sure that her entire expression was lighting up at the moment. She couldn't really care though. She had been to the festival last year with Bianca, and she had enjoyed herself a lot. Now she was going with Ash, which would make the festival even better. _'You could have simply told me, you know,'_ Latias could feel some heat rise to her cheeks as Ash was looking, no _staring_ , at her. Maybe she just imagined it, or did Ash's smile grow bigger as her blush intensified? Also, she was surprised that Ash hadn't asked the others if they wanted to come. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but did Ash maybe want to just spend some time with her? _'Hey Ash,'_ She started, Ash's attention returning to her after having looked at the different buildings surrounding them. Hesitation was the first thing she felt as she was about to ask her question. _'Why didn't the others come with us?'_

A laugh escapes him as he removed his eyes from Latias for a moment. Should he tell her why? He remembered his conversation with Brock, saying that he should be more direct and straightforward. A good start would to be honest then. It could possibly, maybe, work in his favor if Latias felt the same. "Well, I simply wanted to spend some time alone with you," He replies, hoping it would actually work in his favor. He had even told Pikachu to stay with the others. It was very rarely that he and Pikachu separated, and thankfully his starter had understood what he had wanted as he told her to stay behind. As he looked at Latias again, he could spot another blush on her cheeks. "Don't you like spending time with me, alone?"

She definitely hadn't expected that question from Ash. _'Of course I do!'_ Latias quickly said, once again hearing Ash laugh. She wondered if it was just her, or was he actually trying to approach her in _such_ a way? Saying that she was confused was an understatement. The first time she had met him she had been the one interested in him, and by all means he had been interested in her too. After she left she got interested in him in a different way, and now he was showing signs of the same sort of interested as she had. _'Why do you ask?'_

"I simply want to spend some time with you and without having everyone else be there," Ash explained, not having let go of Latias' hand throughout their entire walk. One question had been on his mind though, for quite some time to be exact. He had asked the question himself after meeting Lily and Leo. If they had names, Latias should also have one, if there was any logic behind the names Pokemon had. "What's your name, Latias?"

Latias stopped walking completely, letting go of Ash's hand at the same time. She hadn't even thought that he would mention, even less that he would ask it. Only her brother actually knew of her name, and her parents, as she had never told anyone else of it. The urge to tell him was very big, trusting him completely. _'Do you really want to know it?'_ The question wasn't necessary in any way, she still wanted to ask it as a form of confirmation that he was serious and wanted to know it. Most humans didn't even know that Pokemon had names like they did, instead simply calling them by their species. _'My name is Luna.'_

'Luna.' Ash spoke the name in his head, already taking a liking to it. He probably would have liked any name Latias could have had, and this one was no exception. It was beautiful in his opinion, like the dragoness it belonged to. "Luna," He said softly, Latias, now Luna, looking up from the ground. For some reason he managed to get her to blush a lot, something he wasn't against though. Now was his chance though to try and get something done about his feelings for her. "I wish I had known earlier. It's a very beautiful name, I think."

' _Y-you really think so?'_ Luna couldn't stop her heart from beating faster at Ash's words. Taking his hand again, they continued their trip to the festival which was held at the center of the city. The festival was not only a festival, but also served as a market at the same time. There would be a plethora of stalls, some simply selling different things, some serving food and some having games to play with prizes to win. Later on there would even a firework in the park next to the city square. She didn't want to call it a date, not wanting to get her hopes up. What else could she possibly call it if not a date? Maybe not in the romantic sense like she wanted, it was still better than whatever she had expected she would do today less than an hour ago. _'There's so much to do at the festival. What do you want to do first there?'_

"I think I can already see some of the stalls," Ash said, pointing with his hand at one of the few that were visible from the street they were on. He wasn't sure yet if they would spend the entire day at the festival, with lunch only an hour away. They had gotten up rather late, and being the one who was sent to fetch Luna, it had taken a while to get breakfast finished and everything. Suddenly he remembered the Mega stone in his pocket and an idea came to mind. With there being a number of stalls he was sure he could find what he looked for. Else he could probably find a shop somewhere else in the city with the help of Bianca. He only needed to keep Luna distracted for a little while, if he found a stall that could possibly be selling what he looked for. "How about we go for one of the games first? They look like fun."

' _Alright, let's go then!'_ With that Luna started dragging Ash along at a slightly faster pace. Last time she had been here she and Bianca had nearly visited every stall with a game, though they didn't win at most of them. It had still been a lot of fun, trying to beat each other at the games and trying to get one of the many prizes that were available. As they entered the square she marveled over all the people that were there. _'Let's try that one over there.'_

Looking at the stall his companion was pointing at, he lead her towards it. The man standing inside had noticed them and waved them over. The game seemed simple enough, a number of cans stapled on top of each other to form a pyramid, with three of those lined up. Taking one of the balls, Ash handed the man the required money, trying to get a feel of how much power he needed behind his shot. The distance wasn't massive, but not too short either to make it too easy. "While I try and win you can choose what you want to get," He was confident that he could get the best result by not missing any of his shots. Impressing Luna and get whichever of the prizes she wanted was his main goal, which required him to not screw up. Throwing the first ball, he managed to knock all cans down. Now he had hit to the two pyramids further out, requiring a bit more strength, and aim. Picking up two balls, Ash decided to take a risk, throwing both balls rapidly, not waiting to take aim on the second pyramid. A gasp came from his right, Luna staring at where the pyramids had stood while the stall owner laughed. "I didn't expect that I would hit those last two shots that easily."

The man congratulated him and told Luna that she could choose a prize. She picked out the Pikachu plushie, which seemingly surprised Ash. She had originally planned on picking the Latios plushie, changing her mind though and going with the Pikachu plushie. She pointed at it, the man understanding what she wanted, handing her the plushie. Putting up a smile, she turned around and started walking away. _'Thanks for winning it for me,'_ That she felt happy was an understatement. Elated would better describe what she was feeling and the urge to hug Ash was very big. Going with the urge, Luna took the plushie in one hand as she wrapped them around Ash's torso, her hands connecting behind his back, her head resting on her chest. _'Do you want to spend some time in the part before we get lunch?'_ Looking up at Ash, she waited for a response. He was looking at something she couldn't see from her position so she continued to wait patiently. _'Only if you want to obviously!_

Hearing the concern in her voice, Ash knew he had to something. He would have liked to keep hugging, or get hugged, but he knew that wasn't the best idea. "Sure, I'm fine with whatever you want to do," Ash told her as he smiled at her. Waiting for her to let go of him, he took her hand and they started walking in the direction of the park at a leisurely pace. The hug he had received had caught him off guard, at the same it was everything he wanted, or at least part of what he wanted. If they got to spend some time alone after they were done here he might be able to tell her what he wanted to say. He spotted a tree that would spare them from the heat. Leading her to it, they both plopped down underneath the tree, shoulders touching. Maybe he could at least hint at it now and maybe tell her, instead of waiting until later like he had originally planned. No, he couldn't do it just yet. He would wait until later in the day, when he felt ready and the moment was right. "I wish every day could be as nice as today."

Humming in response, Luna shifted slightly so she could rest her head on Ash's shoulder. She couldn't agree more with what Ash said, smiling as she felt her eyelids getting heavier. Falling asleep was not an option. _'That would be nice, wouldn't it?'_

Hesitating slightly, Ash started stroking Luna's hair eventually, not noticing something very important. "Hey Luna," Waiting for a response, he continued stroking her hair, a smile growing as he continued. If the rest of the day went like this he was sure he could tell her by the end of it. Not getting a response, Ash looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep while they had been relaxing. At least they didn't need to be anywhere and no one was waiting for them. He had to admit that she looked rather cute like this, even though she nearly always looked cute. "You can keep resting. I'll keep watch over you while you rest, Luna."

* * *

Awakening slowly, Luna tried to remember where she was and what she had been doing before she had fallen asleep. She had gone to the festival, which celebrated the creation of the city, with Ash and he had won her a Pikachu plushie. Then they had gone to the park, sitting under the tree, still sitting under it, as she had fallen asleep. What she did know though was that she had fallen asleep on Ash's shoulder and not sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped around her. _'Ash?'_ Getting his attention, she found him looking down at her with a soft smile on his lips. She knew she had been asleep for a few hours, though she didn't know what time it was, besides that it was most likely afternoon and far past whatever time they would have gotten something to eat. Letting out a small groan, she asked the dreaded question. Sleeping like this was something she rarely did. _'What time is it?'_

"It's around four," Ash said, glancing at his watch to confirm his words. Of his many experiences, this was one of the better and one of the worse. Sitting against a tree like that for multiple hours wasn't very pleasant. Having Luna sleep in his lap was more than pleasant in comparison. He had, somehow, managed to move her into his lap, in order to have her avoid the same problem he had, without waking her up. "Did you sleep well, princess?"

Four hours? That was a lot of sleeping she had done. That meant that Ash hadn't gotten anything to eat and had stayed at her side the entire, leaning against the tree. She really needed to find a way to make it up to him. _'Well, yes,'_ Since Ash had appeared blushing had become somewhat of the norm, much to her own chagrin. She was going to regret doing this, but it was something she felt she should do. With some effort she finally found a way to stay on Ash's lap while having their heads at the same height. Leaning backwards and turning her heard slightly, Luna found the right angle. Gathering her courage, she pushed herself upwards slightly, still being slightly shorter than Ash, and gave him a peck on the cheek. Unable to keep looking at Ash, she quickly scrambled away from him and stood up, trying to look at anything but him. Wanting to do this for quite some time, she hadn't really planned to do it just yet. What was done was done. _'I, er, thank you!'_

Keeping his eyes on her, he couldn't deny how cute she was. And that his heart was probably about to burst out of his chest if it kept beating as fast as it did. "Let's get back to the festival," Holding out his hand, he waited for Luna to take it before they together walked back to the main square. The biggest question was what exactly they were. They weren't a couple, but they weren't simply friends in that sense either. He didn't plan on having it continue like this either though. Trying to find a stall that had something to eat, that they wanted, he kept glancing at Luna. When he had first met her he had still been young, so he really hadn't paid her any attention in that way. It was first when she kissed him that he actually noticed, and then it took some more years for him to understand it. By that time he had grown interested in girls, but none caught his attention like Luna had. As he looked across the square, he thought be saw a stall that could potentially be selling what he wanted. Now he just needed to find the right opportunity to get there, without Luna. "I'd like to think that I'm not the only one who's hungry right now, so how about we get something to eat?"

' _Okay. I'm sorry for being the reason you missed lunch though,'_ She was sure he didn't want to hear her apologize, but in the end it was her fault. Hearing his stomach growl didn't really help her, so she simply decided that being quiet until they got something to eat was the best option. Letting Ash lead her to one of the many stalls, she simply took what he handed her to eat. Taking a bite, it turned out to be some sort of chicken. That wasn't to say that it wasn't good or anything. _'What exactly do you plan to do after this, after you leave?'_

"I-" About to tell her what he had planned, his phone started vibrating in his pocket. Pulling it out, he looked at whoever was calling him, answering a second later. "Yes?" Having recognized the number as one from the Pokemon League, he had an idea what to expect. Right before breakfast he had called and requested for the chance to battle the Elite Four and the Champion. He obviously hoped for the affirmative, which though lead to another problem. It really wouldn't be worth anything if Luna couldn't come with him, both as his Pokemon and as something more."I'm looking forward to it. Can I bring along people to watch? You're making an exception? Well, I'll gladly take it. Until later then, Lance."

That had definitely caught her interest, though she hadn't really understood what the conversation had been about. _'And?'_ It was in no way her business, which didn't mean that she didn't want to know what had been said on the other end of the conversation. She had no reason to nose around in what Ash was doing, at all. _'What was that about, Ash?'_

"That was a call from the Kanto and Johto Champion. I had requested to be given the chance to battle the Elite Four and the Champion," Ash started, trying to come up with a way to ask what he wanted at the same time. "I had actually called earlier today about it, having waited for an answer since then. And now I got my answer," Sighing, he looked down at ground while he chewed on the chicken he had ripped off, trying to come up with the best possible way to approach the topic. "Luna, what I want to ask you is if you want to come with me when I go back to Kanto and take them on. Both as my Pokemon and as a friend."

' _What?'_ She hadn't expected that. Ash wanted _her_ to go with _him_ to Kanto. This was what she had wanted since she had met Ash, and now she was given the opportunity to do just that. Now she also had the means to go through with it as well, with other Latis there to keep watch over the Soul Dew. _'I would love to go with you!'_ Hugging him as they stood there, she didn't give him another kiss on the cheek. One was more than enough. But was she really ready to leave Alto Mare? She had never ventured outside the city, beyond the surrounding area, and this was her home. At the same time, going with Ash was her biggest dream, the chance to do just that right in front of her. _'When would we be leaving?'_

"Tomorrow morning most likely. I'll have my first battle in two days. Seeing how the trip back would most likely take up around half of the day, I would have rest of the day as preparation before it starts. From there I would have one battle per day, if I win of course," Ash retold the information he had been given. If he won the first match, he would have the second match the following day. If he lost it was over and he wouldn't get another opportunity until the next conference ended. "Also, I'm sure they won't mind if Bianca comes with us as well."

Luna was nearly bouncing at the prospect of going with Ash, and it only got better now that Bianca also could come, if she wanted. But that would mean that this would be her last day in Alto Mare before they had to leave, so she had to spend as much time as possible enjoying herself. Spotting a stall that housed an interested looking game, she started to drag Ash towards it, who simply stopped protesting after a few seconds. She had probably seen a similar game last time, but she really didn't have the physical strength to beat it. Using her psychic abilities wasn't an option either, because if she cheated there would be no fun in winning. The game was rather simple. You had to use the hammer to catapult the ball all the way up to the gong. Obviously there were some indicators which would be identified as lower results and a less desirable price. _'Could we play this one?'_ Waiting for Ash to say something, she saw that there actually was a line of people also wanting to play the game. Not getting a reaction from him, she poked his side with her hand. _'Please?'_

"Only if you give it a try first." Ash said simply, smiling as he watched her expression.

' _Huh?'_ If last time was anything to go by, she was only setting herself up for failure if she tried it. And she would embarrass herself in front of Ash of all people by doing it. He wouldn't play the game unless she also gave it a shot. _'Do I have to?'_ He didn't budge at all as she looked at him. Well, if he really wanted to she would try her best. _'Alright, but only once.'_

"Great, and don't worry if you shouldn't do well. This is just for fun," Waiting for their turn to play, it only took a few minutes until it was their turn. Giving the hammer to Luna first, he took a step to the side as he carefully watched her. She seemed somewhat nervous, though she didn't have a reason to. Keeping his eyes on her, he barely could contain his excitement at the prospect of her coming with him back to Kanto. He had hoped that she would be come with, but he knew that the chances weren't that big. Focusing on Luna again, he nearly laughed as he saw her attempt to strike. For a Pokemon of her size he had expected a bit more strength, he did know that she was very proficient in her psychic powers. The owner of the stall even gave her another chance, not that it really changed anything. Her second attempt could nearly be considered worse. "Here, let me try instead."

Pouting she handed him the hammer as he paid the owner for another go. She hadn't even gotten to close to the worst prize, the owner going as far to even pity her by giving her another try. He didn't even ask her to pay for it. _'Ugh, I wished I was at least somewhat stronger,'_ Hearing the gong ring, she knew Ash had won. If he had heard what she had said was a completely different question, she hoping that he hadn't. _'What did you win?'_

"Something we can share with the others," Ash definitely knew she was listening to what he was saying. Showing her what he had gotten, her eyes widened a little before she smiled. He had been surprised, but it was welcome non the less. Also, it was appropriate considering they would be leaving tomorrow. One last time together in Alto Mare for quite some time. "Should we tell them right away or spend some more time alone?"

' _Well, how about we walk back slowly?'_ Luna replied, giggling softly. They had spent more than enough time at the festival, the majority was her sleeping though, and by walking back slowly they still had some time alone for themselves. While she loved Bianca and had nothing against Ash's friends, spending time with him was preferable. What should have been a slow walk turned out to be ten minute walk as they approached the house. Walking up the stairs, she let Ash knocked on the door. _'Should we tell them immediately?'_

"There you are!" Bianca, unaware, didn't even give Ash a chance to respond to Luna's question. Hands on her hips, she tried her best to look annoyed with them. She was sure she didn't really succeed seeing how they were still smiling and didn't look worried at all. Not being the only one that was at least a little worried, they had started guessing when those two would come back. "We wondered what you were doing this entire time. The thought looking for you had also been there. We expected you to be back a few hours ago."

' _That might have been my fault,'_ Luna admitted sheepily, hugging her Pikachu plushie a little tighter, having carried it around the entire time. If she hadn't fallen asleep, they would have probably been back around the time the others had expected them. Maybe their little surprise would cheer them up. _'I feel asleep under a tree while we were in the park.'_

"You did what?" Bianca hadn't expected to hear that from Latias of all people. It was rare that she relaxed at all like that, and for her to fall asleep? That required her to be very relaxed from the start. Maybe it just was her imagination, but it felt like Latias was practically glowing as she stood next to Ash. "Whatever. So long you enjoyed yourself it's fine."

"We actually got something for all of us while we were there," Ash added, showing Bianca what they had gotten. Letting her take it, he watched her look at it before he turned to Luna and smiled. Less than a week ago he hadn't even thought that he would be here, but now he was here. "So, what do you say? It's a free dinner for the six of us, and I think it would be nice to go there. If I haven't heard wrong, that should be one of the better restaurants."

' _I hope I wasn't wrong,'_ Luna chimed in, trying to get some sort of confirmation from Bianca that she had been right. Whatever was going through Bianca's head she didn't know, neither if it was good or bad. The smile didn't help her either in trying to figure out what Bianca was thinking. She wanted to believe that the smile meant something good. _'Was I right?'_

"Yes, you were Latias," Bianca said, handing the voucher back to Ash, who put it in his jacket. She turned around, finally letting them inside the house where the others were sitting at table together with her grandfather, Brock and May talking while Reshiram entertained Pikachu and Glaceon. "I'm sure the others will be happy to hear about this, you two."

* * *

' _B-Bianca, is this really necessary?'_ Luna couldn't believe it. After having told the others about the voucher they decided to stay a little longer before they would prepare themselves. Sure, it wasn't a big event, Bianca had still said that something needed to change. Which was why she was trying different clothes in her friend's room. ' _I can't wear this! What would the others think?!'_

"Hey, if you can wear that short skirt you wore today I see no reason for you to complain. And attracting Ash's eyes isn't a bad thing, is it?" The pout on Latias' face told her everything. A slight push and she would be wearing it. And she was sure that neither she nor Ash had noticed, but as they stood in the door they had been holding hands, her friend cradling a plushie. "So, what did you do today at the festival? I saw that Pikachu plushie you were holding earlier. If Ash won you that, it's really cute. Also, did anything happen between you while were there? You seem a lot happier than you were this morning."

' _Well, uh, maybe,'_ Knowing there was point in discussing it with Bianca, Luna took the shirt that showed off her midriff, still being a similar color to what she usually wore. Ash would eventually tell them about what he had in mind, though she was sure that Brock, and Pikachu, already knew. Talking about her feelings for Ash weren't really a new thing, which for the most part consisted of Bianca teasing her. Now that it wasn't just a dream anymore, it was a little different. _'I just feel like everything fell in place perfectly today at the festival.'_

"Uh-huh, I'm glad to hear that," Looking through her clothes, Bianca tried to find something fitting to the shirt she had just given Latias. Finding a dress that only covered the legs, she handed it to Latias while trying to find something else that matched with the rest. Finding a nice jeans jacket, she nearly threw it at her friend. Thankfully her clothes had already been picked out, allowing her to focus most of her time on Latias' clothing for the evening. It had taken some convincing to get her to sit down and let her clothes be picked out for her. In the end it would be totally worth it though. "I'm sure the others are also making themselves presentable for this. And wouldn't standing out among them be a nice thing?"

Not saying anything for some time, Luna simply sat there and followed Bianca with her eyes.

' _Have you ever thought about leaving Alto Mare, if only temporarily?'_ She could have simply waited until Ash brought it up, but she wanted to know if Bianca would even entertain the idea of coming with them, with her, to Kanto. If she would have to choose between going withAsh and leaving Bianca behind or not going with Ash and staying with Bianca, which of those would she choose? _'I'm sure I'm not the only one of us who has thought about it.'_

"I suppose I would like to visit somewhere else for some time. I love Alto Mare, but something different wouldn't be so bad," Bianca answered truthfully, the idea having been more prominent when she was younger. She had always liked to maybe explore the different regions, though Johto, or at least the mainland of it, and Kanto having topped the list. Maybe she should take some initiative for once and go to one of the regions. Refocusing on the task at hand, she had to admit that Latias looked stunning. Makeup wasn't even needed to have all of Ash's attention on her. She wasn't looking too shabby herself, but that was only so she wouldn't stand out in a negative way. "I think we're done here. Let's go and meet the others."

Hurrying up to not trail to far behind Bianca, Luna quickly checked that her clothes didn't look too bad. She could have simply imagined them, but there would have been no fun in that Bianca said. Walking down the stairs, they entered the kitchen where Lorenzo and May were sitting. May was wearing a simple pink dress, nothing too fancy, that fit perfectly on her.

' _You look wonderful, May!'_ She couldn't stop herself from pointing that out, earning a smile in response at her comment. While everyone else was sitting, Reshiram eventually joined them in very similar clothes to what she had worn before, but instead looked more like a dress. Not being able to see herself really stopped her from comparing herself to them. She shouldn't really worry, seeing how Ash's opinion mattered the most. _'You too, Reshiram.'_

"Are you guys ready to go?" Ash asked as he walked down the stairs, Brock following him. May had said she would be waiting in the kitchen, which meant that the others also should be there. "Are you guys ready to go? I'm quite hung-" He didn't finish the sentence as he entered the kitchen and saw Luna sitting there, together with Bianca and Reshiram. If she wasn't beautiful he didn't know what other word could possibly describe her. Trying to piece a sentence together, it took him a few tries and a lot of effort to get it right. "Let's go."

With that they all headed for the door, the restaurant only a few minutes away. And, the weather was still nice so it was more enjoyable than it was a chore. Staying a little behind, Brock decided to strike up a conversation with May, about a certain topic. "What do you think about them?" Seeing the confusion on her face, he tilted his head slightly in their direction so she would understand. They had gotten a lot closer since they had gotten here, which was a good thing, but he knew that they still weren't together if the talk between him and Ash yesterday was anything to go by. "I'm sure Ash will eventually confess to her, I hope."

" _Latias and Ash?_ " May asked, glancing at the pair ahead of them, happily talking to each other as they continued their walk to the restaurant. She had once herself tried to get Ash's attention, to no avail though. And she knew that others had tried as well. Was the only reason they hadn't succeeded because he was already interested in Latias? Also, relationships between humans and Pokemon were uncommon and not everyone was supportive of them. Thankfully the law forbidding them had been removed in all regions, and there was nothing stopping someone from having one nowadays. "I suppose they would be a cute couple, if Ash would confess. And I always thought he was extremely dense," About to continue the conversation, Bianca announced they had arrived at the restaurant. Entering the restaurant, the voucher allowed them entrance and would grant them a free dinner to their liking. A waiter lead them to a round table for six, handing each of them a menu before he took his leave. Looking through it, May decided against returning to the earlier conversation she had with Brock. "Have you guys already decided on what you want?"

Everyone nodded, so Ash called the waiter. Writing down each of their orders, he waited until the waiter had left. Now was probably the best time to say what he wanted. Getting the attention of his friends, he tried to gather what he would say. "I'm going back to Kanto," Maybe he should have worded that differently, seeing how everyone except Luna was staring at him. "I got a call earlier today that confirmed that I have been given the opportunity to take on the Kanto and Johto Elite Four. The first battle will be in a few days, and I planned on returning tomorrow," Letting the words sink in, he smiled he caught Luna's eyes. Staying quiet for a few more seconds he eventually spoke up. "Latias will accompany me back, and I'm sure you will as well Brock. I know you're also coming Reshi, but what about you two?"

Did he expect them to say no? Looking at Bianca, May nodded as she looked at Ash. "Of course I'm coming with you. I won't leave you at your biggest challenge yet."

"And I won't simply let Latias wander off on her own to a new region. Plus, I've always wanted to visit Kanto," Bianca added, unable to miss how happy Ash seemed to be at the prospect of all of them coming with him. "Maybe I can find some interesting things to draw."

Ash didn't really know what to say. May had her own career to think off, and she still wanted to come with him to Kanto. Bianca had no reason at all to come with him, but she still did.

"Thank you guys. I will make sure that I won't disappoint you," With that he lifted his drink, the waiter having brought them while he had spoken. "I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Leaning against the big tree in the garden, Ash thought back to the dinner. After his announcement, the dinner had been great. Obviously most the discussion revolved around Kanto, what there was to see there, about his upcoming battles, how they would get there, when they would leave and so on. "Did you enjoy yourself today?" He asked, Luna once again resting on him, this time only leaning against his shoulder. He personally had enjoyed himself a lot today, spending time with Luna. Not getting an answer, he started humming slowly, a melody his mother had taught tim. "Are you still with me?"

' _Hmm, did you say something?"_ Luna asked, stretching her wings a little as she looked up at Ash. Now that they were in the garden, she had no reason to stay in her human form, especially after Ash had said he preferred her this way. About to ask him again, she saw something in the corner of her view. " _Zelgius_ ," She hissed as the golden Latios approached them. Not using telepathy, she knew Ash wouldn't understand what was being said, though he probably would understand the gist of it seeing how he had been there last time. Sadly, Reshiram wasn't here to scare away him a second time. "What do you want?"

"You seem to be in a worse mood than usual when I'm around. Is it because of him?" Zelgius didn't even bother to not act annoyed with the human that was next to his queen. He was spending more time with than any of them, besides maybe Leo and Lily. What did _that human_ have that he didn't? "What makes him so special? Do you prefer him over us?"

Narrowing her eyes, Luna thought about hurting the golden Latios in some way. Ash would most likely disagree with her, and probably even go as far as stop her if she attempted anything. "I would be careful with what you say, Zelgius," She saw how his eyes widened at her tone. She rarely used it, but it had thankfully always worked on him so far. Oh, how she would enjoy this. "He's the savior of Alto Mare after all, so I would show some respect."

By the looks of it he had taken it too far this time. "Forgive me, I didn't know," Another thought appeared as he watched both of so close to each other. "Is he possibly your mate?"

She couldn't stop herself from blushing at his question. "Not yet, but hopefully sooner than later," With that she ended the conversation, waiting until he started to leave. He was nearly outside of her sight as she remembered something. "I won't be here for an unknown time, so I leave everything in your care. I take you can handle it?" Another nod and Zelgius was gone. Relaxing, she turned around and looked at Ash, who in turn was looking at her. She had always known it, but as she was staring at him the fact that he was handsome became more and more apparent. It had been many years since she first met him. He had been a kid back then, where as now he was a grown man. _'Are you excited for tomorrow?'_

"Well, yeah. I always like returning home after I haven't been there," Ash said truthfully. He loved travelling above all, though nothing was as good as returning home. Even better was that Bianca had managed to get them tickets for a flight back to Kanto. He didn't even know that Alto Mare had an airport. Sure, there was enough land for it, but he'd never think they would need one. It saved them a lot of time. Instead of nearly needing the entire day to get back it would only take them around three hours. Now he had his chance. Maybe not a straight out confession, it was still a start. "Is it okay if I admit that I like you, a lot?"

Luna really hoped that she hadn't imagined that, because if she did she would most likely start to cry. _'Do you mean that?'_ That soft, and completely genuine smile on his lips told her everything. Even if it wasn't 'I love you', she was overjoyed to hear those words from him. This is what she wanted for a very long time. _'I suppose I like you too then, a lot,'_ What struck her the most was how he insecure he looked as she had spoken. Starting to float, she pulled him with her. Tilting her head upwards, she moved her head in slowly as she gave him a quick peck on the lips. _'How about we take it slow, and when you're ready you can say it? I got no problems with it, so long you're comfortable enough. This is about us, after all.'_

"I would like that," Ash replied, blushing heavily after the peck he was given by Luna. Before she could react, he gave her a peck on the lips as well. He had been confident as he admitted that he liked her, after that all of his confidence had drained away. Now that they were 'together', how does one proceed from there? "Can I stay with you tonight?"

' _Of course you can,'_ Luna answered, surprised by the question. Slowly lowering herself, she beckoned Ash to join as she put one of the wings around him. She wondered if she should tell the others when they met again. Bianca would probably figure it out herself anyway. What was she most looking forward to was going with Ash to Kanto, and cheering him on as he tried to achieve his dream. Snuggling her head against his chest. Luna couldn't help but smile. Ash had pretty much confessed to her. _'What exactly are we now?'_

"I suppose we are couple," Ash didn't really know if that was what she wanted to know. They were a couple, even if he wanted to take it a bit slower. If Luna really wanted to take it faster, he would gladly comply, though so long she said nothing he would prefer a slower pace. Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the closeness to Luna as much as possible, smiling as she nuzzled his cheek. "I'm glad you're coming with me tomorrow, especially now."

' _Good, let's sleep now,'_ Resting her cheek against his, she gave him a last nudge, resting her head against his chest as they were lying there, together. With only one day left before Ash would possibly face the toughest battles of his life, she would make sure to support him in every way she could. _'Do you think this could become something we do regularly?'_

"We'll see. We can talk about this tomorrow," With that, and another kiss to her forehead, he laid his head and tried to find sleep. He would have to call Liza tomorrow in advance so she could send Charizard over. Everyone was already at the ranch, so there was no reason to worry. Sadly he hadn't managed to get done what he wanted during the time they spent the festival. Finding a bracelet for the Mega stone had high priority, and thankfully he could most likely find one at home. After that it didn't take until sleep came to him.

* * *

 **It wasn't a confession like I had originally planned, but close enough. Don't worry though, that will come as well. I've also finally finished planning out the remainder of the part 1. Yes, part 1. I'd like to think there will be another 7 chapters before part 1 ends and we get to part 2. XYZ really gives me some great ideas for part 2, having already hinted at it very lightly in the last chapter. As usual, reviews are appreciated. Until next time!**

 **Note: I'll refer to Latias as Luna unless the focus is someone that isn't Ash or her.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's Chapter 7 folks. Which means there's not a lot happening here. I do hope you enjoy it, though I was somewhat disappointed at the lacks of reviews for laster chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

' _Is that Viridian City?'_ Luna asked as she looked out of the window, trying to see as much as she possibly could of Kanto. Not long ago it had been announced that they would start the landing, which meant that they would get closer to the ground soon. There hadn't been a lot to do on the plane, so she resorted to talking to Ash, Reshiram and Pikachu who sat on the same row as her, while Brock, May and Bianca sat on the other side. A nod from Ash answered her question as she continued looking out of the window. Fastening her seatbelt, after Ash helped her the first time, she leaned back and closed her eyes. This was the first time she had left Alto Mare, so she was rather excited at the prospect to set foot in Kanto. _'How will we get to Pallet Town? Are we going to fly there, or will we walk?'_

"We will walk, seeing how it's not even an hour from Viridian to Pallet," Ash said, fastening his own seatbelt as he relaxed in his chair, Pikachu sleeping in his lap. After yesterday nearly everything had changed, but at the same time not very much had changed. They had gotten closer than ever, holding hands and more often than not their shoulders touched as they walked. Thankfully she had no problems with taking it slower, and a kiss on the cheek when the others weren't watching was more than enough for him currently. Another announcement was made over the PA, telling them that it would only take a few more minutes until they would land. "I'm sure you and my mother will get along great."

Something she should maybe ask Bianca about was what exactly was expected in a relationship. Between Pokemon it was rather simple, the parents having no real say in the choice or if they approved or not. _'You think so? I really hope she does,'_ If it was important to Ash that she and his mother got along she would try her best to make it work. She was sure that Latios wouldn't have simply accepted her getting together with Ash, even if his opinion would have mattered little. _'You're going to start training right away when we get there?'_

"That's what I had in mind. Obviously my mother won't simply let me do that, but I'll try my best," Ash knew that his mother wouldn't even let him go to the lab until he had stayed at home for at least half an hour. Maybe he could try and convince her. It was an urgent matter, so she would hopefully budge on the matter. Then came the actual problem of introducing Luna to her. He was confident that she would love Luna, and have no problems with her, where as he wasn't very sure how much she would want to know from her. There was also the fact that everyone needed to get a room. Reshiram thankfully could stay in her pokeball, and his mother would most likely have Bianca and May share a room. That probably also meant that he and Brock would share and Luna would have to sleep with the other girls. But, that were all things he could think later about, when they became relevant. "What do you say about helping me in my training? It would help you getting stronger, and it would help the rest as well. After our less than successful attempt last time I think you might need that."

Starting to notice how the plane descended, Luna braced herself for the impact as she saw the ground approach through the window. Ash was right though, she had been pitifully outclassed by Pikachu in their 'battle'. She really needed to improve if she wanted to battle together with Ash and be an asset for the future. Latios was really strong, so if he could be strong she could be strong too. _'Couldn't we fly to Pallet Town? I'm sure I could take you and someone else. If you got someone who can fly it would only take us a few minutes to get there,'_ It wasn't that she had something against walking, but flying was what she loved the most. She was actually quite interested to see what other Pokemon Ash had, besides Pikachu, Reshiram and the Totodile he had with him last time. Hearing the beep that signalled you could take of the seatbelt, doing just that as she stretched her arms and legs. One thing she had learnt though was that flying like this wasn't the best experience ever. Following Ash as he stood up, they walked through the aisle until they reached the staircase that would let them exit the plane. It didn't take them long from there to get into the airport, where she was unable to not stare at everything. The airport in Alto Mare hadn't been particularly big. The Viridian airport was huge in comparison. Because they barely had any luggage, what they had could be stored above the seats, they didn't to wait to pick it up and could instead leave immediately. _'Please, can we fly? I really want to stretch my wings!'_

"I suppose. Alright, we'll fly," Caving in, Ash gestured Reshiram over, removing the pokeball from the chain around his neck and held it out to return her. Placing it back, he took a ball sitting on his belt instead and threw it in the air, releasing Pidgeot. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he gestured them over. "At the suggestion of Latias we'll be flying to Pallet Town. I will be flying with Latias and someone else and the rest will fly on Pidgeot. It should only take us a few minutes to get to Pallet if we keep a decent speed," No one was against the idea so he called Brock over so May and Bianca could fly together. But before they could go Luna needed to transform, and that had to be done somewhere she couldn't be seen. Finding a more secluded spot, they waited for her to transform. Smiling as she saw her back in her original form, he couldn't help but stroke her head lightly. Swinging his leg over her, he sat as he could feel Brock take his place behind him. Turning his head he could see May and Bianca doing the same. With everyone ready, he gave Pidgeot a sign to take off, the bird shooting up in the air at a breathtaking speed. Knowing Luna wouldn't want to be outdone he prepared himself for the inevitable that would come. "Hold on tight, Brock."

Feeling that both her passengers were ready, Pikachu again sticking close to Ash, she propelled herself up into the air, trying to catch up with the larger bird. Having raced a few time with either Leo or Lily, she wasn't completely helpless when it came to racing like this. Putting in some extra effort, the gap between her and Pidgeot got smaller and smaller. Giving it her all, the effort paid off as she caught up to the bigger Pokemon. "I'll prove Ash that I'm better at flying than you are!" That was maybe a bit too confident, not that she would ever admit that to anybody. After a while she found out that the bird only need a single beat of her wings to put some distance between them. Pushing herself even further she slowly pulled ahead of Pidgeot, not by far though. "Hah, I'm going to win this!"

"You don't stand a chance, youngling," While she didn't know the age of the Latias that her trainer had befriended, she didn't hold a candle to her in experience. Being a legendary did give one a lot of potential, not that it would help unless you used it and especially knew how to use it. "You probably hadn't even hatched the moment Ash caught me. By the time I evolved you hadn't even met. What makes you think you are faster than me?"

Once again Luna could only stare as Pidgeot starting beating her wings, not only once, not twice, but multiple times, starting to descend at the same, which lead to being near impossible for her to beat her. Still, giving up was not something she did, so she kept trying, watching as Pidgeot landed first, letting Bianca and May off. Joining her a litte later, she felt the weight on her disappear as Ash and Brock joined the others. Transforming into her human form, she grinned as the bird was recalled. Also, being in he human form was probably better until she got to know Ash's mother and she was aware of that she was a Pokemon. _'I really hope she's fine with me being a Pokemon,'_ Approaching the door with the others, she started to get a little anxious, not being helped by the fact that her boyfriend, if she could call him that, was knocking on the door and she could someone walking down the stairs. _'Oh god, what if she doesn't accept me?! Am I looking alright?!'_

"Luna," Ash whispered, leaning in to make sure no one heard him use her name. He could understand why she was worried. Luna didn't know his mother though. His mother wouldn't even care if she was a Pokemon. No, what mattered to her was that he and Luna loved each other. He hadn't said the words yet, they hadn't even kissed for real. He knew he really liked her, as did she. "Everything'll be fine. You have my word that it will be. Trust me on this one."

"Ash!" Seeing her son stand at the door, Delia Ketchum didn't hesitate to pull him into a hug. She knew that he wasn't alone, but at the same time she couldn't care any less. After having been gone for nearly a year, to only return for a few hours, he clearly deserved one of her hugs. "There's no way I'll let you run off again, mister," Turning her attention to everyone else, the first one she noticed was the girl next to Ash. What mostly stood out to her were her golden eyes and the way her hair looked. She was sure she had seen something similar before. Looking beyond those two, she could spot Brock and May, and another girl she hadn't met yet, with nearly the identical hairstyle to the girl next to Ash. "Come, let's go inside."

Going into the house first, Ash immediately headed for the living room and took a seat on the couch, patting the spot next to him so Luna could join. As she sat down, making sure no one watched, he gave her a peck on the cheek. Thankfully they both managed to stop themselves from blushing too much as the others joined them. "I suppose I should start with introducing those of you don't know yet, mom," He said, his mother looking at him. Waiting with telling her that Luna was a Pokemon would most likely be the best option, and something he should do. "That over there is Bianca, she's from Alto Mare," If he wasn't wrong, and he probably wasn't, his mother was already trying to figure why both looked nearly identical. "And this is Latias. She's a legendary Pokemon, also from Alto Mare."

"A Pokemon?" Delia asked baffled, focusing on the girl next to Ash. That's why she had recognized the way her hair looked. It was styled nearly like the wings of a Latias, a picture which Professor Oak had shown her once. Did that mean that the other girl, Bianca, also was one? Ash hadn't said anything about it, so she supposed she wasn't. "I don't think I've ever heard of Ash befriending a legendary Pokemon in such a way. Could you transform?"

' _Of course!'_ Not wanting to disappoint, and make a bad first impression, Luna stood up and tapped into her powers once again. Having done it so many times, she had no problems focusing on the task at hand. Transforming back was always a little easier, considering she didn't need to care how she looked. Also, she had managed to keep the clothes on that Bianca had given, which was a lot harder because they were actually real. After a few seconds she could feel that she wasn't standing on the ground anymore, so she opened her eyes. Ash's mother was looking at her with wide eyes. _'Is anything wrong?'_

"Come on mom, you don't need to stare at her like that," Ash quickly reassured Luna that nothing was wrong. Putting an arm around her, he made sure that it didn't look out of place or different from the usual. "Hey, do you know if the Professor or Gary are over?" With only having what was left of the day to prepare he couldn't waste any of it. He still needed to decide on who he would bring, considering he only take six with him and then being stuck with them through the entire thing. Every battle against the Elite Four would be a 3 on 3 where he would be allowed to switch between his six Pokemon however he wanted. If, and only if, he should make it past all of them would he have a 6 on 6 against Lance. "Are they?"

"Well, I think both of them are," The word of the upcoming match between Ash and Will didn't need long to spread across both Kanto and Johto, both professors and all of the gym leaders made aware of the event. The match wouldn't be broadcasted and only those working with the League in some way were allowed to watch, besides if the challenger wanted people they knew to watch. "Go, and don't disappoint when it's time."

Turning to face Brock, May and Bianca, he could already feel that they were going to say something. "You guys get all settled here and work on who gets to sleep where. I'm off to the lab!" Not caring right now, he took Luna's paw as he nearly rushed out of the house. He hadn't gotten to see all of his Pokemon during his last visit, so he was all the more excited to see them now. Looking behind him, he could Pikachu doing her best to keep up with them before she took a leap and landed on his shoulder. "Sorry that I left you behind there, but you know we're in a hurry," Keeping up his pace, he made sure that Luna was still with him. He supposed that flying was rather useful in this situation, being unable to really trip or stumble. Taking two steps at a time as he sprinted up the stairs to the lab, he couldn't wait to see all of them. Reaching the top of the stairs, he didn't slow down until he reached the door to the lab, trying to regain his breath. Noticing the doorbell that sat next to the door, he decided to use that instead of knocking on it. From the lab he could hear a shout and some grunts, soon replaced by footsteps approaching the door. Opening the door was non other than his childhood friend and former rival through Kanto and Johto. "Hey there, Gary."

"Ash?" Making sure he wasn't just imagining it, Gary blinked a few times. He hadn't seen him since their last meeting in Sinnoh, and boy had he changed since then. Not knowing what to say, he simply let him inside, and the Latias accompanying him. A Latias accompanying him? "I'm not sure if you noticed Ash, but there's a legendary following you around."

"I know. Is everyone outside?" Not even bothering to explain why Luna was with him, he got to the point straight away. Walking through the lab, he knew Gary was already behind him. Opening the door that would lead them to the ranch, he held it open as his former rival and Luna walked, in Luna's case flied, through it. The moment Ash set foot on the ranch a loud rumble started to grow. Knowing what was about to happen, he told both of them to take a step backward, Gary already glaring at him. "I hope you're ready for this Pikachu."

' _What exactly is going to happen?'_ If Ash's friend was surprised at her use of telepathy he didn't show it at least. The rumbling only got louder with each passing second.

"He's going to get run over by his Pokemon," Run over was probably not the right way to describe it, They would attempt to run him over and he would take it in stride as he somehow managed to still stand. There was the cloud signalling their arrival at least. He never understood how Ash managed to stand there with open arms and get run over and flattened by all of his Pokemon. It still amused him to see how affectionate they could be, especially when they were in a battle it would be the complete opposite. "Tell me, how come you know Ash. I'm aware that he's probably the only trainer to ever meet so many legendaries, but he has never even bothered to catch them. What makes you any different from the rest?"

' _Well, I know Ash from before. We met when he first was travelling through Johto and visited Alto Mare,'_ Luna explained. Mentioning what happened there wasn't of relevance, so she didn't do that. Glancing back at the chaos that had started as Ash met his Pokemon, she could see his head amongst all of them. Not worrying was hard. _'Is he going to be okay?'_

"There's nothing to worry about!" Ash shouted, managing to get himself heard over all the sound his Pokemon were producing. After a few tries he was able to calm them down and break free from them. Walking up to Luna and Gary, he made sure that Pikachu was still with him and not lost among the rest. Not that Pikachu really had a problem with that. It was about time that he would have to decide on the team he wanted use. He couldn't change his choice later, so if he screwed up now he was most likely done for. But first he needed a little warmup before he really started to train. "Hey Gary, what do you say about a quick 1 on 1?"

Not one to decline a challenge, he nodded as Ash shooed away his Pokemon so they had some space to work with. "Let's have a rematch from last time," It had been a long time since they last battled, right after Ash had returned from winning the Kanto Battle Frontier. While had kept training since then, he knew that Ash had improved a lot, and had especially gotten rid of his overconfidence. Making sure he took the right pokeball, he threw it into the air to release his only Sinnoh Pokemon. "I hope you're ready to lose, because I won't lose."

"Who's overconfident now? Let's go Pikachu," With no one in their way, Ash took his place on the field, Pikachu leaving his shoulder so she could prepare herself for battle. Besides the embarrassment at the Vertress Conference, his last battle against Gary probably was one of his worst battles ever. He wouldn't make the same mistake again though. While they hadn't battled since then, he liked to think that he had improved more than Gary had. Having only taught Pikachu a new move since then, besides the Counter Shield, there was the question if Electivire knew any new moves. "Alright then, start this off with Iron Tail!"

"Show them your Iron Tail!" Gary countered. Electivire was by no means slow, though he didn't want to even try and have him beat Pikachu at her own game. Both Pokemon swung their tails at each other, their tails bouncing back as they collided. As they took another swing at it, he noticed how Pikachu was swinging her tail a lot slower than before. Something was very off. "Cancel the attack and dodge instead, Electivire!"

"Now, Electro Ball!" Ash had hoped that he could have hidden his move better. Getting in a free hit never hurt, not that he didn't expect that Gary would notice it early enough to be able to react properly to it. Flipping in the air, Pikachu swung her tail towards Electivire. her Electro Ball sent flying at the motion. Usually electric attacks wouldn't do a lot against another another electric type but when an electric-type was on the strength of Pikacu or Electivire, absorbing the electricity wasn't really an option. Doing that, if the electricity was strong enough, would sometimes hurt a Pokemon more than it would gain them. Thankfully Pikachu was strong enough to harm her opponent with electricity. "Thunderbolt!"

"You too, Electivire!" Gary didn't want to start using some of his own strategies yet, which was what Ash also had seemingly in mind as none of his orders were beyond a basic level for Pikachu. Surprisingly, both attacks completely missed each other, forcing both of their Pokemon to avoid the incoming bolt. Time to start trying. "Give them your best Thunder!"

"Counter Shield!" Seeing how Gary was actually not holding back anymore, he had no reason to either. Which meant he didn't hesitate to use some of his own moves, like Counter Shield. Flipping into the air, Pikachu spun as she released electricity around her in order to defend herself from Electivire's Thunder. "Strike back!" As she was defending herself, she sent a bolt from her shield towards Electivire who was surprised and unable to dodge. He wouldn't be underestimate Gary by any means. He may not be a trainer like he was anymore, though he was still able to come with up strategies that he couldn't even think off most likely. "Go for another Iron Tail, and then show them your strongest Thunderbolt!"

"Brick Break!" Came the quick response from Gary, Electivire lifting his arms as he prepared his attack. Swinging his arm, Electivire easily pushed Pikachu away, his strength being far superior to Pikachu's strength. Even when getting pushed away, Pikachu showed no problems to do what told, her Thunderbolt definitely hurting Electivire. Returning to their starting positions, neither Pokemon showed any signs of exhaustion, which was to be expected. If Ash could use moves like Counter Shield, he could that too. "Double Punch!"

"Be ready for anything, Pikachu!" Ash had never heard of the move, so it was hard to know what would happen or what the best way to deal with it would be. 'Double Punch' turned out to be what it was called. In an impressive showing of speed, Electivire appeared in front of Pikachu, striking her with a Thunder and Fire Punch. He knew that all Pokemon would get hurt in a battle, but hearing Pikachu scream in pain was something he would never get used to. She had told him many times she was okay. He couldn't simply ignore the screams that came from, or any of her Pokemon. Now was not the time to worry. "Quick Attack!"

"Catch her!" Gary shouted, somewhat annoyed that Pikachu hadn't gotten slowed down at all by Electivire's previous attack. This time it would be different. Managing to catch the smaller Pokemon, Electivire kept his hold on her with only one arm as the other prepared to strike her with Brick Break. Where as Pikachu was faster, and possessed a lot of power, she clearly lacked the endurance to withstand multiple direct hits. "Brick Break!"

"Try and escape with Thunder!" Ash knew that Pikachu couldn't take hit after hit and still be able to win, so something needed to be done to turn it back in their favor. Doing as he said, she actually forced Electivire to let her go, allowing her to create some distance between them so none of his physical attacks would pose a real threat. "Electro Ball into Iron Tail!"

The speed at which Pikachu executed the command was astounding. Only blinking a single time, Pikachu's Electro Ball struck Electivire, only for a second later to be followed by an Iron Tail. "Use Fire-" Gary couldn't even tell Electivire what to do before he was rammed by Pikachu. The speed difference alone was doing so much. "Enough of this, Earthquake!"

"Dodge it!" Dodging Earthquake was hard, and Ash didn't know what Pikachu could do to avoid most of the damage it would do. Watching her dodge admirably, he was about to warn her, but was too late. She had not watched her every step, leading to her losing her footing on the shaking ground, leaving her very vulnerable. He wanted to shout, not that it would really do anything as he watched Electivire appear in front of her, a Fire Punch at the ready. There was no hesitation as he brought down the attack on Pikachu. "Thunderbolt!"

Even after a brutal combination like Earthquake and Fire Punch, Gary was surprised that Pikachu still was able to perform. "Block it with Thunder Punch!"

"Iron Tail!" Ash ordered, Pikachu swinging her tail after having her Thunderbolt blocked by Electivire. A simple step backwards and Pikachu's attack hit the ground instead of Electivire. While this might not be the best indication on how he would do against the Elite Four, if he couldn't win in the next few minutes he definitely would have some problems against them. Now he needed to come up with a plan on how to actually win this as fast as possible.

' _Come on, you can do this Ash!'_ Luna shouted, doing her best to try and encourage Ash. While she rarely had watched any Pokemon battles, it didn't take a lot for her to see that he wasn't doing as well as he wanted. And from what she had understood the upcoming battles would be much harder than this one would be. _'I believe in you!'_

The simple encouragement from Luna worked wonders on Ash as he put all of his focus on the battle again. "Get close for Electro Ball!" No hesitation. It had no place in a battle, and he couldn't use it either right now. As he wanted, Pikachu dashed forward while not giving Electivire any chance to do anything as she slammed her tail into him, increasing the power behind Electro Ball. "Give him the strongest Thunderbolt you got, Pikachu!"

"Electivire, use-"

"Finish it with Volt Tackle!" Already being in such close proximity did nothing to hurt Pikachu's ability to deal significant damage to her opponents, her Thunderbolt having no travel time after already being so close to Electivire as she had used Electro Ball. Starting to run away from Electivire, electricity sparked around her body as she increased her speed, making an u-turn so she could hit Electivire. "Now, show them your true strength!"

"Meet her head on with Wild Charge!" Gary had thought about using Protect, like he had done last time, but decided against it at the last second. Who said that Pikachu couldn't break through it? The consensus was that Protect could take any hit, which was a blatant lie. And even if it did, Pikachu could have mostly likely cancelled her attack. "We won't lose!"

"I'm glad to hear, because neither will we!" At those words Pikachu took a leap forward, having gathered enough speed to actually damage Electivire. Ash didn't really see another option but to win. If he couldn't win here there was no point in trying to become the Champion. The collision between the two Pokemon was far from small, the stored energy releasing shockwave after shockwave, all culminating in an explosion, forcing them to cover their eyes and mouth to not get harmed by the smoke. "Come on Pikachu, I believe in you!"

Wild Charge was weaker than Volt Tackle, and Electivire couldn't learn that move, so he somewhat knew the outcome. And, Pikachu was stronger than Electivire. If he had used any other type that wasn't strong or weak against Pikachu he would have lost a lot sooner. After a few more seconds the result was clear to see, Electivire lying on the ground in defeat while Pikachu still stood. "Ah well, it was worth a try," Admitting the loss, Gary took Electivire's pokeball from his belt as he walked over to his fallen Pokemon. Crouching, he stroked Electivire lightly, eventually tapping the pokeball against him, recalling him. He personally thought he had put up a decent fight against Ash. "Not bad, not bad at all."

"You weren't too shabby either," Ash replied, picking up Pikachu as he approached Gary. While he had expected a difficult battle against his old rival, he hadn't expected it to be _this_ hard. Holding Pikachu a little closer, he walked back towards the lab where Luna was standing smiling. At least this would prepare him for his upcoming battles. Now he still needed to pick who he wanted to come with him, not being able to change once he had started his first battle. "Now comes the problems of picking a team, besides Pikachu."

"Well, knowing what is coming surely makes it easier, doesn't it?" Gary pointed out. The Elite Four obviously didn't tell anyone what Pokemon they used, besides the one that had been seen by others, but everyone knew what type they specialised in. While he couldn't think of every of Ash's Pokemon, he knew most of them. "I could probably help you, but I won't."

"Whatever, I'll be staying for a while. You can leave if you want," Ash said, shooting a glance at Luna before he returned his attention to his other Pokemon. Man, the choice would be hard. Thankfully time and options weren't a problem, so he only needed to actually decide. Charizard was probably the best choice, seeing as how he was his true powerhouse. Two down, four to go. Donphan wouldn't be a bad choice either, as both he and Charizard would do well against Koga. Sadly he didn't really have anyone that was strong against Will, the psychic user of the Elite Four. That meant that his Pokemon would have to put in some extra effort. Against Bruno, Pidgeot and Charizard, or any flying-type, would do very well. Similar to Will, he pretty much had no Pokemon that was strong against Karen and her dark-types, except one. Thankfully he had made the call as well after asking for Charizard, Primeape being somewhere among all of his other Pokemon. That only left Lance, the dragon master and the Kanto and Johto Champion. His entire team would need to contribute to that fight, but bringing along Glalie felt like the safest option, giving him a Pokemon that would effective against most of Lance's dragon-types. That would leave him with a team of Pikachu, Charizard, Donphan, Pidgeot, Primeape and Glalie. He could only use three of them for each of his battles against the Elite Four, obviously allowed to switch them around between each battle before he could bring them all together in his final battle against Lance. If he made it that far. "Hey!" He called, getting Gary's attention, who had just been standing there for some time before he was about to leave. "I know you said you wouldn't help, but."

"Alright, tell me what you got," Gary knew what he had said earlier, but if Ash asked for his help he wouldn't deny it. They hadn't been friends for nearly their entire lives without a reason, and now that he was most likely facing his biggest challenge yet he would not simply leave him. Listening as Ash listed his teams, he nodded in agreement multiple times. He really couldn't see any major flaws with Ash's team. All of his Pokemon were fully evolved, except Pikachu, he covered as many of the weaknesses of the Elite Four as possible, and his Pokemon all had different strengths and excelled in different aspects. "You're well prepared that's for sure. I wouldn't be any different if I had something this important coming."

"Yeah. I never thought I would actually get this far, but here I am. Neither did I think you would actually end up following in the footsteps of your grandfather," Ash went on, smiling as he thought back to the time when Gary still was competing with him. After the Silver Conference their rivalry had ended, instead continuing on a more friendly level. Noticing the look Gary was giving him at his comment, he couldn't stop himself from grinning. "Hey, I didn't mean anything bad with it. I even read some of the stuff you've published."

"You read that? Call me surprised, though I suppose a trainer like you would find it interesting enough," Gary replied, never having thought that Ash would bother reading what he had published. Ash had always preferred to learn everything himself, and not need to look it up somewhere. "Now tell me a little about your new friend here."

"This is Latias, as you most likely know already," Ash introduced her, not about to use her actual name unless she wanted him to use it. Thankfully he knew Gary well enough, so he had no reason to distrust him at all. Not that there was much to tell, that was relevant at least. "I first met her as I travelled through Johto, making a stop at Alto Mare."

' _Only a few days ago he came back and asked if I wanted to come with him,'_ Luna chimed in as she followed Ash and Gary deeper into the ranch. While Ash had picked his team, he still needed to actually tell his Pokemon about the decision, except Pikachu. She had only met three of Ash's team, knowing Pikachu from before, having talked with Pidgeot a bit and watched Charizard battle. Well, and the rest she didn't know of in any way, having tuned out Ash and Gary's conversation about halfway through. Maybe after Ash was done with all the battling she could get in some training of her own. _'So who did you pick, besides Pikachu?'_

"You know Pidgeot already and saw Charizard, but besides them and Pikachu I'm going with Donphan, Primeape and Glalie," Ash told her, trying to find those he was looking for, which was hard. Soon though he spotted Primeape, already making a ruckus as he was running around, trying to find someone he could fight. A bit further out he could see Glalie and Donphan resting on the ground, while Charizard and Pidgeot were flying in the air. Managing to gather them, he explained the situation to them. To say they were radiating with excitement would be an understatement. Sending them off to prepare themselves in any way they found suitable, Ash knew what he wanted to do now. "What do you two say about some relaxing? I'm in need of it, and we could check in on the others while we're at it."

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 **H** **ope** **this chapter was to your liking. If you like battles, the next five chapters will most likely be highly entertaining. But, just so you know, reviews really lift my spirits and keep me motivated as I write each chapter. Well, until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back, I think. I could explain why I haven't published anything in such a long time, but really, there's no point. I actually have been sitting on this for quite some time, and finally managed to finish it once the break finished. Now, I hope this will be more readable than this has been before, as I have been trying my best to fix some of the clunkiness that has been there. The majority of the chapter will be a battle, with some fluff at the end. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

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Blinking a few times, Ash tried to push away the sleepiness, knowing that he needed to get up. Thankfully he hadn't gone overboard last evening in his relaxation, being able to stop himself from drinking _too_ much. At least he had managed to not worry about his upcoming battles, instead believing that he was ready for what was to come.

"I know you're up Pikachu, so stop trying to make yourself look asleep. It won't work on me," he said, poking his starter lightly. Something told him he would need to make more drastic measures. "If you're not up in a minute I might throw you down the stairs."

That certainly caught his starter's attention as he stood up and stretched. Today his first battle would take place, being the psychic master of the Elite Four, Will. Watching Pikachu scramble from her spot, he couldn't help himself but laugh as she sat on the back legs, her full attention on him. He wasn't sure yet if he would use Pikachu against Will, even though there was no need to worry about her being exhausted with them having enough time to rest between each battle. Not having anything that was strong against Will's psychic types meant that he didn't any real advantage. Which meant Pikachu and the others needed to give it their all. Going with Pikachu, Charizard and Pidgeot seemed like his best choice, seeing how they balanced each other, had the most experience of his team and had no innate disadvantage against any of Will's Pokemon so far he knew. The teams of the Elite Four were quite large, having a variety of Pokemon at their disposal that were interchangeable depending on the situation.

"I hope we're truly ready for this, Pikachu. We won't get another chance so easily."

"Ash, breakfast's ready!" his mother called from downstairs. "Wake everyone up!"

"Better not argue with that. Let's go," Ash joked, laughing lightly as he headed for the door. Opening it, he turned to his right as he started walking down the hallway. Brock hadn't been the room anymore, so he was either in the bathroom or already downstairs. Probably downstairs, helping his mother with breakfast. Stopping at one of the doors, he knocked a few times before he continued walking. "Typical Brock, always doing something for us."

"It's too early!" May's voice carried through the door. "Don't you have anything better to do?!"

"Not really!" he called back, hearing multiple groans coming from the room. Ignoring them, he soon reached the stairs, the smell of breakfast greeting him as he walked down the stairs. As he reached the kitchen, he spotted all the different things that were on the table, among others boiled and scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, a large amount of bread different sorts of cheese and ham. There was also a bowl of fruit placed on the table, holding bananas, apples, grapes, oranges and strawberries. His mother and Brock had outdone themselves, as usual. Neither of them noticed him as he approached, both still working on making sure everything was ready. With a knife in her hand his mother finally noticed him.

"Good morning, mom." Ash greeted his mother, smiling at her as he sat down at the table, making sure there was a chair next to him where Luna could sit. He really wanted to eat.

"You did as I told you and woke up the others, right?" his mother asked him, already glaring him at slightly in case he hadn't done as he had been told.

"No need to worry, because I did wake them up," he replied, his mother's glare disappearing as her attention returned to adding the finishing touches to the breakfast. Silence overcame them as they waited for the others to come down.

"I hope you're prepared and ready for today, Ash," Brock chimed in, the first words he had spoken since Ash came down. "The next days are some of the most important in your life."

"You don't need to tell me Brocko, I'm fully aware of their importance. Though I think we should leave rather early. Just in case, you know?" Ash didn't want to risk anything, the chances of him not making it in time, because one reason or another, was very large. Better be a little early than be too late. After all those years he had definitely learnt that when it came to him nothing was a certainty. He had already had that happen to him too often.

"Wise choice." Brock said, finally also sitting down together with his mother. But they still couldn't start eating until the others got downstairs.

"I hope both of you slept well," his mother continued, seeing how the previous topic was finished. "Small things like that can play a very big role."

"Sleep didn't elude me, I actually slept really well, which will hopefully be the norm for the next few days," Ash assured his mother, about to say something more but he was interrupted as he heard people walk down the stairs. "Good morning you three."

"Morning," came May's reply, already sounding like a completely different person. She usually had problems when people woke her up but once she was woken up she usually needed no further convincing to get up. And she was used to it after all the travelling she had done. Alone and with others.

"It took me some time to get the others out of bed though." she added, sitting down opposite of Ash with Bianca sitting down next to her.

' _This look wonderful, Mrs. Ketchum.'_ Luna spoke up, for the first time, as she took the seat next to Ash. _'You really didn't need to do this for all of us.'_

"It was nothing, after all you only stay here for such a short. It was the least I could do."

"Oh right, we're staying over at the League," Ash said, not even having noticed that he had nearly finished his breakfast. "Suppose that it can't be that bad. I'm going over to the lab to gather everyone."

With his breakfast finished, Ash stood up and took his plate and put in the sink. Calling Pikachu over, he held his arm out to let his starter climb onto his shoulder. Not wasting any time, he left the house and walked in direction of the lab at a high pace he soon reached the stairs, climbing two steps at a time to reach his destination faster. Stopping as he reached the door, he knocked twice before he waited for someone to open the door.

"Ah Ash, your timing is perfect," Prof. Oak greeted, being the one open to door. "We just got a surprise guest here at the lab."

"I actually just came to gather my team, though I guess you wouldn't mention it if it wasn't of relevance," Ash responded, walking inside the lab. "So, who is the surprise guest, Professor?"

"Someone you would have gotten to know today anyway," Prof. Oak said, directly heading deeper inside, taking a turn to the left which lead to some form of living room. "Here we are."

Besides Gary and Tracey, who hadn't been in town the day before, someone he definitely hadn't expected to meet yet was there. He knew that he would meet and battle the Elite Four, but meet one of them before hand? Approaching the man, Ash didn't really know what to say. "You're Will of the Elite Four, right?"

"I am, Ash Ketchum. I thought I'd spare you the trouble of travelling," Will answered, standing up from the couch. "Gather your team and whoever will come with you and we can leave."

* * *

"We're ready," Ash spoke up. Right after he had met Will he had gathered his team and returned back to the house with him in tow. Now they were waiting. "Let's go."

"If you would all gather around me so we can teleport," Will said, taking two pokeballs from his belt as he released the Pokemon inside. "Come out, Xatu and Gardevoir!"

"You're going to show me some of your Pokemon?" Ash asked, watching as two very familiar Pokemon to him materialized. "Isn't that risky considering we're going to face each other?"

"You either would have known about them, or you would have have found out anyway, so I don't see any problem with it," Will said, his eyes gleaming under his mask. "Teleport."

"Wait-" Brock tried, without any success as Xatu and Gardevoir teleported the seven of them, themselves and Pikachu to the Indigo Plateau. "That works I guess."

"I will be waiting on the battlefield for you. You got five minutes for any last preparations you want to make. The rest of you will find enough seats for." Will told them, taking his leave after.

"Can't waste any time then," Ash added to Will's comment. "I'll see you guys soon."

Walking in the same direction Will had left, Ash made sure Pikachu was still with him as he looked for a sign that would tell him where to go. Spotting two signs, he took to the left, as the other way was where the others needed to go. Another sign told him to take the first to the right, so he guessed Will had entered the second room. This was the challenger room after all. Sitting down on one of the benches, he barely registered as Pikachu jumped onto his lap. Petting his starter, he touched the pokeball around his neck at the same time. The presence coming from Reshiram was overwhelming, the emotions he could feel ranging from worry to happiness. Letting the pokeball fall against his chest, he looked down to find Pikachu staring up at him. Petting her head, Ash smiled as he stared at the wall. What did he know about Will's team? Besides knowing that he was a psychic-master and had a Gardevoir and Xatu, he knew that Will also had a Jinx among others. His Gardevoir meant that he most likely also had more psychic-types that weren't limited to Kanto or Johto, so he better be prepared for that. A short signal rang through the room, telling him that it was time.

"This is it, Pikachu. Our first obstacle at becoming the Champion," he said as he walked through the door that would lead him to the battlefield, where Will was waiting. "We won't falter here, and we won't falter at any moment."

"Welcome Ash," Will greeted as Ash entered the battlefield, his friends sitting in the stands waiting for the battle to begin. "The rules are simple. We'll have a 3 on 3 battle and both of us are allowed to switch our Pokemon as we see sit. Whoever loses all of his Pokemon first has lost. I think I'll send out my Pokemon first."

"If you insist," Ash replied, watching as Will removed a pokeball from his belt and threw it into the air. The Xatu from before. "Well, if you choose Xatu, I'll have to go with Pikachu!"

Ash watched as Pikachu left him and ran over to the battlefield, taking a battle stance as she stared at Xatu. Both of them were limited to three Pokemon, and as soon as they sent out three Pokemon they weren't allowed to send out any other Pokemon. Touching all of his pokeballs, he looked at Pikachu, who looked back. If Will gave them trouble they definitely had the work cut out for them.

"This is a match between challenger Ash Ketchum and Elite Four Will! This is a 3 on 3 and once either trainer has sent out three Pokemon they're locked with them," the referee announced, standing at the side. "Begin!"

"Xatu, start this with Confuse Ray!" Will shouted, his Xatu shooting out the orb.

"Don't let that hit you, Pikachu!" Ash quickly replied, knowing very well what a disaster it could be if Confuse Ray hit. "Close the distance with Quick Attack!"

Ash breathed out in relief as Xatu's opener missed its target completely. He was sure though that the attack wasn't even a real attempt to gain anything, instead only being an attempt to gain an advantage. Will's smile made him worried though.

"Now Xatu, Night Shade!" came Will's next move, Xatu shooting a black beam out of its beak. "Follow it up with your own Quick Attack!"

"Counter that Nightshade with Thunderbolt!" Ash called out, Pikachu gathering the electricity needed before she shot out the bolt. The two attacks cancelled each other, only leaving Xatu's rapid approach towards Pikachu. "Dodge it!"

"That won't work. Hold her in place with Psychic!" Will shouted, a purple glow surrounding Xatu, his speed not decreasing in the slightest. "Now, strike!"

Ash could only watch as Will's Xatu struck Pikachu, sending her sliding over the ground, nearly reaching the edge of the battlefield.

"Pikachu, retaliate with Electro Ball!" Ash tried, hoping for a fast recovery.

"Not good enough, Psyshock!" Will continued, Xatu firing off the purple orb at his opponent.

"You can do it!" he nearly screamed as he saw that Pikachu struggled to form the attack. But he believed. "Electro Ball!"

Will watched with interest as Pikachu got up and gathered the electricity on her tail, before she swung it at Xatu, and at the incoming attack. He sorely underestimated the smaller Pokemon. That mistake wouldn't be made again.

"Heat Wave, full power!" Will ordered, the two attacks creating an explosion, forcing Xatu to avoid it. The Pikachu was gone, confusing both him and Xatu.

"Didn't see that one coming, huh? Now, Thunderbolt!" Ash followed up, the explosion having been the perfect distraction.

"Xatu, dod-" Will couldn't even finish the sentence before the attack connected. "How?"

Will was baffled to say the least, by the looks of it. Ash knew that he had caught him off guard. This was his moment to strike.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash saw the opening he needed, an opening that would allow Pikachu to get in some good damage. "Great job!"

"This is far from over. Xatu, recover with Roost," Will spoke, the calm from earlier having returned. "Then show them your Shadow Ball!"

Ash knew that he needed to do something before Xatu finished healing. Else a majority of the damage that had been inflicted upon Xatu would be gone. He needed to inflict some good damage if he wanted to tip the odds in his favor.

"Let's show them what we are made off!" Ash replied. He rarely used his combination moves, but sometimes they were needed. "Combine Electro Ball and Thunderbolt!"

Doing what she did best, Pikachu dashed forward as fast as she could, forming the first attack on her tail, gathering the electricity needed for the rest.

"Xatu, stop the healing, right now!" Will called, worry clear in his voice as the Electro Ball rapidly got closer, all the while its size nearly tripled. "Xatu, no!"

"Let's finish this," Ash knew that he had gotten a little lucky with Pikachu being able to get up in time, right before Xatu's attack would have hit. "Now, for good measure, Iron tail!"

Ash nearly held his breath as Pikachu dashed forward, her tail glowing as she prepared the finish strike that would put him in the lead. Pikachu swung her tail, getting a clean strike on Xatu, which sent him crashing into the ground. No doubt it was over.

"Xatu is unable to battle!" the referee called out, raising a flag in Will's direction.

"I'm impressed," Will spoke, a hand on his as he recalled his fallen Pokemon. He clipped it to back to his belt, it being quickly replaced by the next one. "But this is far from over."

Smiling at the remark, Ash thought about what his next move should be. Keeping Pikachu on the field would be risky, especially after how much work she put in, plus the damaged she had taken. The advantage though would be that he could scout Will's next Pokemon. He was quite certain Charizard would do well, even without any information to go by.

"I didn't expect it to be over just yet." Ash replied, already decided that Charizard would be his next choice.

"Prepare yourself then. Jynx, it's your turn!" Will announced, throwing the pokeball in the air. Soon, a very humanoid Pokemon could be seen standing on the field.

"Go, Charizard!" Ash threw his own pokeball in the air, Pikachu leaving the battlefield at the same time, releasing what was probably one of his strongest Pokemon, a place he shared with Pikachu and Sceptile. "I'll start this time."

"Very well. You better don't disappoint then," Will said, watching every movement of Charizard. "Do not underestimate your opponent, Jynx."

"Let's do this! Flamethrower!" Ash started, Charizard immediately taking off, closing the gap to make sure that the attack would connect.

"Psyshock!" Will ordered, Jynx quickly shooting out the purple orb, like Xatu had done against Pikachu, towards the incoming attack. "Follow that up with Nasty Plot!"

"Attack while she's buffing up!" Ash had to get in a good hit now that Jynx was temporarily unable to do anything, especially with Flamethrower being cancelled. Nasty Plot would drastically increase her power. "Slash!"

"Ice Beam as soon as you're ready!" Will commanded, knowing the risk he took.

Shooting forward, Charizard drew his claw back as he prepared to strike on the defenseless Jynx. Getting in a clean hit, he quickly retreated, gathering flames in his mouth in preparation for the next attack he would use.

"Overheat!" Ash shouted, seeing the flames spill out of Charizard's jaw. Two clean hits in a row would give him an advantage, but they were far from a deciding factor. "Now!"

"Dodge that attack, then use Ice Beam!" Will commanded, relying on that Jynx actually was fast enough.

Waiting until the last second, Jynx elegantly spun to the side, dodging the incoming Overheat without any problems. Surprised, Ash couldn't do anything as Jynx shot out her Ice Beam straight at the Charizard, who hadn't been prepared at all the Jynx would dodge at the last second. Ash nearly stumbled as he heard Charizard roar in pain from the attack.

"Charizard, don't let that faze you!" Ash knew that even though Charizard wasn't weak to ice attacks, they still hurt a lot simply because of him being a flying creature. "Flamethrower!"

"I hate to disappoint you, but that won't work. Just watch," Will spoke, showing no hints that he was planning on having Jynx attack. "Jynx has a strong affinity with ice, shouldn't you know."

Ash was about to ask what Will meant, before something caught his attention. Charizard's wings were frozen completely. Any attempts at moving them only ended with adding to the pain.

"This won't end here. Charizard, try to keep her at bay with all of your attacks!" Ash really didn't know what to in that moment. Without his wing Charizard was somewhat of a liability. A majority of his movement relied on him being able to move around freely, and fast.

"Now, use Lovely Kiss and then continue using Ice Beam until he's frozen completely."

There was little Ash could, besides watch, as Jynx put Charizard to sleep before she continued shooting Ice Beams at him. He could only hope that Charizard would wake up from one of the attacks, which seemingly wasn't the case.

"This can't be happening." Ash muttered, going through his options. Pikachu probably still hadn't recovered enough to be able to beat Jynx and Pidgeot was at a big disadvantage.

"Now that he's completely frozen, use Dream Eater while he's still asleep!" Will ordered, not hesitating in the slightest. "If he wakes up throw him in the air with Psychic."

At that moment Ash felt something, something that he hadn't felt before. He was freezing slightly, and his entire body felt a little sluggish. At the same time he could feel there was heat coming from inside him. Whatever it was, he felt like he could do anything.

"We won't be defeated by you! Charizard, use Slash and break free!" he could see Will's confident demeanor immediately breaking as Charizard's eyes opened and his claws glowed white.

"This is _not possible_." Will said, staring as the ice slowly showed signs of breaking. "Focus Punch while he's still not completely free!"

"Charizard, strike at her with Slash!" Ash commanded, a deafening sound echoing across as the room as the ice broke.

Once again shooting forward. Charizard easily dodged the incoming Focus Punch, flying around her before he simply hovered behind her, his claws at the ready.

"Jynx, behind you!"

"Strike!" Ash hadn't never felt in sync with Charizard as he was now, barely fighting the urge to mimic Charizard's movement. "Overheat!"

There absolutely nothing that Will could do, something Ash knew. Focus Punch had missed, leaving his Jynx completely vulnerable to Charizard's attacks, with no chance of evading or countering them.

"Keep him at bay with Psychic!" Will tried, only trying to delay the inevitable, hoping for some sort of miracle.

"Don't let that stop you, Charizard!" Ash shouted, the Psychic not even hindering Charizard from charging up the attack. "Fire!"

"No, Jynx!" It was over, and there was nothing Will could do about it.

"You were great!" Ash called, running up to Charizard as he threw his arms around the lizard's neck. Whatever had happened during the battle was something he would think later about. He hadn't won the match yet. Will still had one Pokemon left, most likely his strongest.

"I've sorely underestimated you. But just because I have lost two Pokemon and you haven't lost a single one doesn't mean that this is over," Will didn't even bother speaking calmly anymore. "Gardevoir, let's show him a what true psychic master can do!"

"Charizard, you have done your part. It's time for you to rest," Ash said, holding up Charizard's pokeball as he activated the return mechanism. "Pidgeot, it's your turn!"

Throwing the pokeball, Pidgeot soon materialized out of it, creating a rather strong gust as she flapped her wings a few times before she landed.

"A Pidgeot? I've to admit that's a very majestic looking Pidgeot," Will commented, carefully looking at Pidgeot. "Now then, Gardevoir use Charge Beam!"

"Dodge that, then show them your Hurricane!" Ash countered, Pidgeot without any problems dodging the incoming attack.

Having dodged the electric attack, Pidgeot quickly started to flap her wings as fast as she could, resulting in them starting to glow. Soon a hurricane had surrounded Gardevoir, leaving her with no option of escape.

"Don't think it will be this easy. Gardevoir is my strongest after all." Will spoke, only watching Gardevoir.

"What do you-" Ash was about to ask, until he noticed what Will meant. "Watch out, Pidgeot!"

"Gardevoir, grab Pidgeot with Psychic, then slam it into the ground!"

"Don't let her grab you!"

Not having noticed what was going on, Pidgeot had no time to react as she suddenly was struggling to move her wings.

"Now, slam her into the ground and then use Thunderbolt!" Will ordered, Gardevoir not even moving as she slammed the avian into the ground. "Then follow that up with Calm Mind!"

"Pidgeot!" Ash shouted, seeing how there was really nothing he could do that would change anything. "You have to get up and dodge that Thunderbolt!"

"I don't think that will work," Will said, Gardevoir summoning the electricity before firing it off, straight at Pidgeot.

With no chance of missing, Gardevoir closed her eyes as she started to power up, as she had been told. There was no danger coming from Pidgeot after her previous attack.

"We're far from out! Pidgeot, let's show them what you're made of!" Ash called, hoping to get through to his Pokemon. It seemingly worked.

Hearing Ash's voice, Pidgeot tried her best to do as she was told, carefully trying to move her wings. After a few attempts, all the while Gardevoir wasn't attacking, Pidgeot managed to get up.

"How? Your Pokemon should be beaten and they still get up," Will had a hard time believing what was happening. "Is your bond with them that strong that no matter what they will keep going?"

"The bonds I share with my Pokemon are something special. We will go through thick and thin!" Ash replied, conviction clear as he spoke. "Pidgeot, Quick Attack!"

"Gardevoir-" Will was about to order her to dodge, but before he could Gardevoir was already struck.

"Hyper Beam!" Ash shouted, taking the opportunity to strike while he could.

"Gardevoir , don't that hit you!" Will warned, looking around for any signs of the bird. He couldn't spot Pidgeot. "Where did it go?!"

"I recommend looking above you!" Ash pointed out grinning, looking upwards. Thankfully the roof wasn't a problem for Pidgeot, considering its height. "Fire!"

Having flown up as high as possible, Pidgeot had charged up the attack before she rapidly descended so she could use the attack at point blank range.

"Don't let the attack faze you!" Will knew that his words were somewhat harsh, and that it was practically impossible to not be fazed by a Hyper Beam. "Use Thunderbolt while Pidgeot's still recovering!"

Firing off the Hyper Beam, the force behind the attack blasted Gardevoir into the wall behind Will. With no choice but to rest, Pidgeot waited for the counterattack that would come once Gardevoir got up.

"Pidgeot, take the Thunderbolt head on and then use U-Turn!" Ash commanded as soon as he saw something sparkle behind Will.

"U-Turn?" Will asked, interested in what Ash planned on gaining with that move. "Who would you send in? Considering the state of your Pokemon."

Just flapping her wings, Pidgeot tried her best to endure the electricity that charged through her body. As the electricity slowed disappeared, Pidgeot gave it one last push as she flew as fast as she could. Shooting straight into Gardevoir, she felt the pokeball recalling her.

"Pikachu, let's wrap this up!" Ash said, seeing the ball of energy that was Pidgeot return to her pokeball as Pikachu sprinted out on the battlefield from his side. "Iron Tail!"

"Focus Blast!" Will countered, watching both Pokemon prepare their attacks.

Not even caring about the incoming attack, Pikachu simply dodged to the side before she continued approaching Gardevoir. Jumping up in in the air, she spun around to get the most out of her attack.

"Full power Thunderbolt!" Ash didn't waste any time. Gardevoirs weren't particularly strong when it came to taking hits, instead relying on keeping their opponents at bay with their various attacks.

"Psyshock!" Will was slowly running out of options. After taking the full brunt of the Hyper Beam and with having no way to increase the distance between herself and Pikachu, she had reached a point where she couldn't do a whole lot.

The explosion the two attacks created pushed both Pikachu and Gardevoir back, both looking like they were running out of breath.

"Finish it! Combine Iron Tail and Electro Ball!" Ash planned on finishing it right here and now, taking the chance to attack while Gardevoir still couldn't defend herself properly.

Doing as told by her trainer, Pikachu gathered the electricity on her tail like she had done against Xatu, while at the same time hardening her tail to increase the force behind her strike. Swinging her tail, hopefully the last time, Pikachu gave it her all as she struck Gardevoir.

"Come on Gardevoir, this can't be the end." Will tried, hoping that Gardevoir wasn't down yet. But, he knew the chance of Gardevoir still being able to fight was very slim.

"Gardevoir is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum who will advance to face the next member of the Elite Four tomorrow!" the referee declared once it appeared that Gardevoir wouldn't rise.

"We did it!" Ash shouted, running across the field and picking him up Pikachu, hugging her tightly while spinning around. "You were incredible! All of you were!"

' _Ash!'_ Luna called, catching Ash's attention, rushing down from the bleachers to reach him, the others not far behind.

"That was amazing." Bianca praised, never having seen a Pokemon battle like that.

"If you keep going like I'm sure you can make it all the way to the end." May continued, hugging Ash lightly.

"I had my doubts multiple times throughout the battle, but you pulled through each time. I'm impressed, Ash." Brock added, putting his arm around Ash as both of them laughed.

Not delaying any further, all of them headed for the exit, excited to get out and celebrate Ash's victory back in Pallet Town. It was only one of many victories, a victory non the less.

' _I wish I could battle like that,'_ Luna said, having to stop herself from entering the battlefield and helping Ash. _'You will teach me how to battle like that, right?'_

"Not going to say no if that's what you want. It will be a lot of hard work though," Ash responded, taking Luna's hand and squeezing it. "Enough about battles and battling now, I would like to take a break before tomorrow."

"How do we get back though?" Bianca asked, making everyone stop and look at her.

"You're right. How do we get back to Pallet Town?" May had also forgotten that Will had teleported them to the League.

"I might be able to help you." a voice all too familiar to Ash and Brock spoke.

"Sabrina?" Ash asked, spotting Sabrina walk in their direction, wearing the same outfit as she had back then. "What are you doing here?"

"As soon as I heard that you were going to challenge for the spot of the Champion I knew I had to watch," she explained, crossing her arms as she looked at everyone. "I don't recognize anyone here except you and Brock. Care to introduce everyone?"

Ash wasn't really surprised by Sabrina's attitude. Barely any emotions, calm and maybe not the most social person. Besides looking at Luna a little jungler, and acknowledging the others only by looking at them shortly.

"I'm not sure how much you know about contests, but this is May. I travelled with her through Hoenn." Ash started, glancing at May before he looked back at Sabrina.

"Oh," Sabrina exclaimed, a small smile gracing her lips. "You won the Hoenn Grand Festival, right?"

"You watched it?" May sounded surprised, not expecting Sabrina to watch the Grand Festival.

"Yes. While I prefer the conferences, top coordinators are always interesting to watch. I was impressed with your performance." she praised, turning her attention to Bianca and Luna.

"This is Bianca from Altomare," Ash didn't know how to introduce Luna, but he was sure Sabrina knew that something was up. "And this is-"

"A Latias," Sabrina finished, not sounding shocked. "You shouldn't look so surprised. I'm a psychic, and she's a psychic type. She didn't even try to hide it."

"There is no need to deny it then. Yeah, this is Latias. She decided to accompany us from Altomare." Ash admitted, scratching his head, glancing down as Pikachu nudged his leg.

"It seems like Pikachu is excited to get back to Pallet," Sabrina pointed out, stepping a little closer. "Come, I'll teleport all of you there before I head back to Saffron."

"Well, if you're so willingly offering to teleport us home we won't say no. Right guys?" Ash asked, getting a nod from everyone. "We're ready."

Getting closer to each other, Ash waited for the odd feeling that had overcome they as Will's Pokemon had teleported them. He looked as Sabrina released an Alakazam in order to teleport them. Trying to prepare himself for it, he was still a little bit surprised by the sudden feeling that came with teleportation. That feeling didn't last for long, and as he looked around he immediately recognized that they were standing outside his house.

"I'll never get used to that feeling." May complained, shaking her head as she gathered herself.

"Seeing as how I'll be watching all of your matches, I'll meet up with you here everyday and teleport you back and forth," Sabrina spoke, looking at each of them once. "Until tomorrow."

Ash just stood there, watching as Sabrina and her Alakazam teleported away, most likely to Saffron City. Stretching his arms, he couldn't help himself but smile. He had beaten Will, the first of the Elite Four. Not caring anymore, he picked up PIkachu and threw her in the air, laughing at the same time. It was far from over, but right now he didn't really care.

"We did it!" he shouted, continuing to laugh while throwing Pikachu. While it was far too early to celebrate, this victory really built up his confidence for the battles to come, which would be harder.

"Come on, let's head inside. I'm sure your mother will be interested in hearing the news," Brock pointed out, heading out for the door and ringing the bell. "I think a minor celebration would be appropriate."

As they waited for his mother to open the door, Ash kept glancing at Luna. She truly was beautiful, and the fact that she was his girlfriend was even more amazing. Not noticing that the door opened, he was taken by surprise as his mother took him in one of bear hugs. He should have expected it.

"You will tell me everything." his mother spoke, practically shoving him and the others through the door.

* * *

Opening the door, Ash walked outside, having left Pikachu inside with the others. Putting the bottle to his lips, he took a sip as he sat down on the stairs. While drinking alcoholic stuff wasn't something he did regularly didn't mean he couldn't enjoy drinking a beer sometime. About to take another sip, he heard the door open behind him. Turning around slightly he could see Luna standing there.

"Hey." Ash greeted her, smiling at her he patted a spot next time, inviting her to join him. Moving slightly, Luna managed to sit next to him though it got a little tight, their shoulders touching.

' _You're not staying inside?'_ Luna wondered, just staring straight ahead.

"Heh, I needed a moment for myself," Ash replied, quickly looking up as Luna made a move to stand up. Putting a hand on her shoulder he smiled at her again. "I would like it if you stay."

Being in a relationship was something completely alien to him, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try his best. He liked Luna after all. At his words Luna's face lit up. How he wished her expression could stay like that.

' _A penny for your thoughts?'_ she asked, moving a little closer too Ash. _'You look like you're deep in thought.'_

"I am, but it's nothing serious," Ash assured, looking down before taking Luna's hand. Blushing slightly, he didn't stop though. "Among others about us and the future."

' _About us?'_ Luna sounded surprised, looking at him with big eyes. _'What do you mean?'_

"Well, we're in a relationship, aren't we? Where exactly are we heading? Relationships between humans and Pokemon are rare, and while accepted, people still are wary around those who are in such a relationship," he answered, taking a small break. Staring straight into her eyes he took a deep breath before he continued. "Luna, we've only been in this relationship for a short time, but I know I want it to continue and that we fully explore it."

' _Ash, I want the same thing. Pokemon have never been very positive to any relationships between Pokemon and humans, probably even worse than humans,"_ Luna replied, resting her head on Ash's shoulder. _'I definitely want this.'_

Knowing how unsure of himself he had been since they had started "dating", Ash decided to change that at that moment. Stirring slightly, Luna removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him. Just as he had wanted. Tilting his head slightly he slowly leaned forwards, closing his eyes at the same time. It didn't take long before he felt Luna's lips against his. It was an amazing feeling, and one he wanted to cherish forever. While he had might preferred doing this when she was in her true form this was by no means bad. Not stopping for quite some time, Ash eventually pulled back and opened his eyes, watching Luna do the same.

"You're not alone with that opinion," Ash said, grinning as they both stared at each other. She had been completely right. This wasn't something he wanted to end. "Come on, let's head back inside before the others come looking. Plus I need to rest before tomorrow."

Taking a last swig from the bottle he had put aside, Ash rose while holding Luna's hand. Even though he wasn't _that_ tired, he would be better off going to bed now. And being late wasn't really an option, unless he wanted Sabrina to chew him out. She wouldn't be happy if he was late. About to open the door, he felt a tug coming from Luna.

' _Ash, um, could we possibly share a bed tonight?'_ Luna asked, regretting it the instant Ash's cheeks turned dark red. _'Not like that! I meant, like we slept back in the garden.'_

"I wouldn't be against that. Just make sure that you sneak out from your room when you're sure the others are asleep," Ash didn't stop from being a bit more open to things in this relationship he had. "We don't need everyone knowing that we shared a bed, even if we aren't going to do anything."

With that, Ash squeezed her hand as he reached for the door handle, turning it in order to open the door. He could hear everyone talking, so he headed straight for the living room where he knew everyone was.

"Ah, there you are!" Brock spoke up. "Did you clear your thoughts?"

"Yeah, I did," Ash replied, entering the living room. "I'm heading to bed, as is Luna. Goodnight everyone."

A chorus of 'goodnights' came in response as they walked towards the stair heading up. Feeling something run past his legs, Ash found Pikachu sitting at the top of the stairs.

' _Do you think Pikachu would mind?'_ Luna asked, looking between Ash and Pikachu.

"I'm sure she won't, isn't that so Pikachu?" Ash knew that his starter already suspected something, so there was no point in hiding it. "Luna will sleep in my bed today, so don't worry if someone enters the room at night."

Just shaking her head, Pikachu ran off, probably heading for his room.

"I'll see you later, and again, make sure May and Bianca are asleep. Girls tend to gossip more." Ash said, giving her a peck on the cheek before he followed Pikachu.

He hadn't expected his evening to go like this, not by a long shot. After only a few seconds he stood outside his room, slowly pushing the door open. Entering, he tried to find the light switch, eventually finding it which lead to the room being lit up. While not feeling extremely tired, he had struggled with keeping his eyes open a few times so he decided to head straight to bed. Undressing, Ash threw his clothes and his hat over a chair standing the corner in his room. Turning on the lamp on his night table, he headed for the door so he could turn off the lamp hanging from the ceiling. Returning to his bed, Ash laid on and made himself comfortable with Pikachu sleeping on the floor next to him. But, there was meaning in trying to sleep just yet. He had heard footsteps, meaning that he wasn't the only one about to sleep. And that meant that it, hopefully, wouldn't take too long before Luna would come. Just staring at the ceiling, he could after awhile hear someone outside his room. Glancing to his left, Ash saw that he had just been lying there for around 20 minutes.

' _Ash?'_ Luna whispered, carefully opening the door, while hoping no one would hear her. Walking inside the room, she had no problems seeing anything. _'Are you still awake?'_

"Yeah, I am," he replied, needing to strain his eyes somewhat to see Luna standing in his room. He certainly felt awkward right now. "Uh, are you coming?"

' _Oh, um, yes.'_ Luna certainly didn't sound as confident as she had before.

"Come on," Ash spoke, pushing away the cover as an invitation. "Do you think you could transform?"

That certainly sounded weird. But he did prefer Luna in her dragon form. If he hadn't know that she was a Pokemon, and hadn't seen her in her true form, he certainly would have been fine with her like she was. She was beautiful for human standards, though he thought she was far more beautiful when she was in true form.

' _You want me to transform?'_ she asked, sounding quite surprised at his request. Still, she transformed and slowly floated closer to his bed.

"Lie down," he said, moving so she had some space to lie down on. Her dragon form certainly took more space. "Would you like to explore Pallet Town tomorrow, after my battle?"

' _I would love that.'_ Luna responded, her golden eyes glowing slightly in the dark.

"Luna?" Ash had expected something more, but as he looked closer he could see that her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep. "Pikachu, you think you could make sure I get up in time tomorrow? Luna probably won't notice if you send some of your electricity flying. I don't want anyone finding us like this, and I don't want to be late."

Pikachu nodded, while grinning, in response, before she curled up.

"Hey, do you want to tell me something?" Ash knew what that grin meant. A weak 'Pika' was the only reply he got. "I thought so. Well, goodnight Pikachu."

* * *

 **I'm sure I haven't shored up all of my mistakes, but I'm working on them. Again, I'm sorry for the long delay. I will try to keep the time span between now and next chapter shorter. Also, I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, favorited, followed and been reading this. Thank you. I hope you enjoyed reading, so until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Kill me please. _Ugh_. How long has it been? Over 4 months? I have to apologize for how long it took to finish this. I had written the first 4 pages 2 months ago but after couldn't really find time or motivation to finish it. I wrote the majority of this during the last 10 days, trying to get by with my rusty writing skills. Now that school nearly is over, I really hope I won't ever find myself in such a situation again. Here's the 2nd battle of this story. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"Didn't I tell you keep it down somewhat?" Ash asked, breathing out as he kept himself from groaning. "Thankfully you didn't fry my boxers or any part of my bed."

Unable to resist, he groaned as he closed his eyes for a few seconds. But, the bliss couldn't last forever. Opening his eyes again, Ash swung his legs out of the bed, letting his feet hit the floor. The temptation to lie down for a little while longer was strong. Not falling for it though, he stood up and stretched. Heading over to the chair, where he had put his clothes last night, he quickly dressed before he put on his hat.

 _'Do we have to get up already?'_ Luna weakly asked, her entire body hidden by the covers.

"I suppose we don't have to, but there isn't really much of a choice," Ash said, crossing his arms as he watched Luna slowly get up. "I really don't want to miss my match."

Just as he had spoken, the covers flew to the side as Luna floated above the bed. She quickly floated away from the bed before she started glowing, indicating her transformation.

 _'Why didn't you say anything earlier?'_ she looked rather annoyed at him as she made sure her clothes were alright. _'Come on, let's head downstairs before anyone notices.'_

Opening the door carefully, Ash looked back to make sure Pikachu was following them, he looked in both directions of the hallway. Seeing no one, he stepped outside and allowed the others to follow him. He was quite confident that the girls weren't up yet, so hopefully they wouldn't take any notice to Luna not being there when they wake up. The door to the girls' room was still closed, meaning they most likely weren't up yet.

"I think I can hear mom and Brock downstairs," Ash said, listening carefully again. Continuing, they walked down the stairs, greeted by the smell of a great breakfast. "Man, I wish you two will never stop making breakfast like this together."

"Got no plans on spending my life making breakfast and cooking for you, but I'll take the compliment anyway." Brock replied, flipping one of the many pancakes he was doing in the air.

About to say something, a knock sounded through the house. Tilting his head slightly, Ash wondered who would knock on their door this early. Heading for the door, he waited a second before he opened it, about to greet whoever was standing outside.

"Sabrina?" he asked, surprised to see her at such an early time. Sure, he had expected her, but there was still nearly two hours until she would have needed to come. "What brings you here this early?"

"I thought I should inform you that Koga is willing to fight you right away." Sabrina spoke, looking straight into his eyes.

Even though she only had two years on him, last time they had met, back at her gym, he wasn't able to look straight into her eyes. Thankfully, he had grown and now both of them stood around the same height.

"Would you like to come in for breakfast?" Ash offered, smiling at her surprised look. She didn't look like she had expected that. "Or have you had breakfast already?"

"I-" Sabrina stopped herself, hesitation clear on her face. "No, I haven't. You would have me?"

"Of course, come on in," he gestured inside, letting Sabrina inside. "If Koga is ready this early I'm sure he won't have any problems with waiting a while longer."

"Ash?" his mom's voice reached him, her head poking around the corner. "Oh, a guest! Give me a second to get another plate."

Walking into the kitchen, Ash glanced behind him to make sure Sabrina hadn't changed her mind and left. Sitting next to Luna, he watched Sabrina take one of the many empty seats, not occupied by May and Bianca yet. Thankfully the table was big enough for the seven of them.

"Tell me Ash, why didn't you win the Evergrande Conference?" Sabrina asked, trying to look into Ash's eyes as she spoke. "You had practically won, so why did you falter?"

It wasn't something he really was comfortable talking about, but he had to cope with it eventually. Now he got a chance as good as any.

"I screwed up," he replied, which was the truth. Didn't mean that he needed to tell everything. "I got distracted and it cost me."

"We're only human after all." Sabrina said, smiling as Ash's mother put down a plate in front of her.

"Most of are at least," Ash joked, laughing at the glare Luna sent him. "After this is over, either with me winning or losing, would you take me on?"

"You already got my badge, so why would you want that?" she wondered, a look of deep thought spreading across her face.

"There's not a lot to it," Brock chimed in, placing a pan full of scrambled eggs on the table before turning around. "He wants to simply test himself. Never having truly beaten you, and you being one of Kanto's strongest trainers, is reason enough."

"That simple?" Sabrina wasn't the most expressive person, a known fact, which made them all the more surprised as she tried to hide her giggle.

"Yes, that simple." Ash finished the discussion, noting that May and Bianca were walking down the stairs. "Good morning you two."

"Good morning," May spoke, blinking a few times as she spotted Sabina. "What are you doing here, Sabrina?"

"Koga is willing to fight Ash already so I thought I should tell him," she explained, which didn't explain the fact why she was joining them for breakfast. "And then Ash invited me."

"That's so like him," May pointed out, sitting down as she waited for breakfast to be ready, with Bianca taking one of the two remaining empty seats. "How are you feeling about taking on Koga, Ash?"

"I have no idea really. It has been forever since I battled him, and now he's a member of the Elite Four," Ash replied, remembering their last battle. "I'm sure he's no pushover."

"He isn't," Sabrina chimed in, everyone looking at her. "Koga might not be as strong as say Bruno, Karen or even me, but he makes it up with the experience that comes with his age."

"Koga certainly is old compared to most," Brock added, "I can certainly not name that many that are at such an age and still are able to compete with the best of the best."

"But, you are able to beat him, right?" Ash directed the question at Sabrina.

"I have, though it certainly wasn't easy. Even with a type advantage I had a hard time taking him down." Sabrina responded, picking up some scrambled egg from the pan and putting it on her plate.

"Then it will be interesting to see how well I will do," Ash said, looking down at his plate. "If I can beat him, my chances of at least standing a chance against you can't be that bad."

"You shouldn't get ahead of yourself," Sabrina pointed out quickly, chewing slowly on her breakfast. "I won't battle you until you're done with your current battles. Now, you better start eating. I'm sure Koga won't appreciate if he needs to wait too long."

"Do I want to know what an annoyed Koga is like?" he asked, not sure if he really wanted to know. Trying it wasn't such a great idea. "I better hurry up then."

Having sped up the pace at which he had been eating his breakfast, it didn't take him long to finish it. Not slowing down, he had gathered his team and now stood outside the house, like last time, waiting for the rest so they could be done with the teleportation. Sadly, the girls certainly needed to take their time before they could leave.

"We're ready!" May called out, the door just having being opened. "Are you guys ready?"

"Yeah." Ash replied, glancing at Luna. They hadn't talked particularly much during the morning, so he walked up to her and shot her a smile while giving her hand a squeeze.

 _'I hope you will win today.'_ Luna said, smiling at Ash as she took hold of his hand and pulled him a little closer.

"So, if you're all done we can leave right away," Sabrina spoke up, gesturing to come closer to her. "Alakazam, come out."

Ash watched as Sabrina held up her pokeball, trigging the release mechanism which let out her Alakazam. It certainly looked impressive, holding its spoons in its hand, barely moving. Except its eyes, which kept moving around looking at all of them. Looking at it again he noticed the shorter mustache, meaning it was a female Alakzam.

"Do you have any way to prevent that slight stomach ache after teleporting?" Ash wondered, grimacing at the thought of having to go through it again. "Let's just get over with it."

Gesturing everyone to get closer, Sabrina told her Alakazam where they wanted to go, and in less than a second they were standing where they had stood last time, directly inside the League.

"You know how it works, so you better use the time you have to prepare yourself." Sabrina said, walking in the direction of the stands, everyone else, except Luna, following her so they could watch the upcoming battle. Ash stood there, watching the others disappear while Luna hesitantly approached him.

 _'I'm probably going to say this every time, but good luck Ash.'_ Luna said, giving him a peck on the cheek before she quickly ran the other way to join the others.

"In moments like these it's just us, isn't it Pikachu?" Ash asked his most trusted Pokemon, looking down at her with a big grin. "Now then, let's go and take on Koga and prove that we're able to challenge for that spot."

Walking confidently into the room that was used for last preparations with Pikachu in tow, he sat down on one of the benches attached to the wall, letting his head rest against the wall behind him. Taking a deep breath, Ash reflected back on his last battle against Koga. How many years had it been? Far too many in his opinion. He had no idea of what Koga would have in his team, except that they would Poison-types most likely. Whatever he had fought the first time really didn't matter. Maybe he used an evolution of one of these Pokemon, maybe he wouldn't. Hopefully Donphan would be able to cover most of his Pokemon, and whatever was left could be taken on by someone else on the team. Without having noticed how much time had passed, Ash felt Pikachu nudge his leg. Was it already time? Standing up, Ash headed straight for the door that would lead him to Koga. Stepping out on the battlefield, he glanced to his side, seeing everyone sitting there. To his surprise the remaining Elite Four members, Bruno and Karen, and Lance were sitting there.

"Here to try and give yourselves an edge against me?" Ash joked, grinning at the League members.

"Certainly not," Karen spoke, the only one Ash never had met, looking down at him. "The way you battle and your accomplishments are no secret, Ash Ketchum."

"Enough talking," Koga's voice rang across the battlefield, his presence no less imitating than it had been the last time. "The time for action is at hands. Show me the power you possess."

"The power I possess?" Ash wondered, placing a hand on his pokeballs. "If you insist."

"Let us fight!" Koga exclaimed, mimicking Ash's movements.

"Gladly!" Ash responded, quickly deciding on who he wanted to lead with.

Both trainers threw their pokeball at the same time, allowing neither an advantage by picking first. Standing on their respective sides were Donphan and Muk. He had seemingly made a good choice going with Donphan, hopefully allowing him to get himself an early lead against the Poison-type master.

"This is a battle between Ash Ketchum and Elite Four Koga!" the referee announced, his voice sounding across the entire battlefield. "Begin!"

"Donphan, Earthquake!" Ash shouted, not hesitating in the slightest. Koga was a veteran in Pokemon battling, and even at a disadvantage would prove to be a formidable opponent.

"Minimize!" Koga countered, his Muk instantly shrinking by a large amount leading to be very hard to spot.

As expected, Earthquake did a lot less than it would normally have. Being so small, Muk only got affected by a small part of the ground. While only a minor setback, it meant that he needed to take a different approach.

"Rollout!" Ash tried, hoping that Koga wouldn't simply stall out the battle through the use of Minimize. By the looks of it, he had no plan of doing that as he stood with his arms crossed, watching Donphan quickly getting closer to Muk.

"Wait for it!" Koga ordered, still having his arms crossed while seemingly having something in mind. "Now, Ice Punch!"

Ash didn't worry that much about Koga's command, even though Donphan was weak against Muk's attack. To his surprise, Muk's fist collided with the spinning Donphan and managed to stop him right in his tracks. This wasn't going as planned at all. With Donphan still spinning, Muk's Ice Punch kept doing damage while there was nothing he could currently do.

"Roll backwards then strike!" Ash hoped Donphan was able to do what he wanted, even if they had never practiced it.

Thankfully just that happened, Donphan escaping Muk's attack before quickly regaining his speed while heading straight for Muk. Striking Muk, Donphan did something neither Ash or Koga had expected.

"Use Hyper Beam!" Ash didn't hesitate as Donphan had used the momentum gained in order to push himself into the air, uncurling at the same time.

"Minimize!" Koga countered quickly, a smug look on his face.

"We won't let that work again! Aim lower, Donphan!" Ash commanded, knowing that there was only a slight change needed in order to compensate. Having quickly shrunk in size, Muk had no time to avoid the incoming attack, slamming it straight into the ground.

"Get a hold of yourself Muk!" Koga called, watching as Donphan landed, making the ground shake. "Swagger!"

"Finish him with Earthquake!" Ash shouted, knowing that if Swagger connected his best bet against Koga would be gone.

Donphan stood up on his back legs, before slamming his entire weight onto the ground, making it tremble heavily and changing the face of the battlefield again. At the same time, Muk glowed red while staring at Donphan, seemingly completely ignorant of his surroundings. There was nothing he could really, except recall Donphan or hope that he recovered fast enough.

"Muk is unable to battle!" the referee declared, Koga recalling it in response. It didn't take long before Koga's next Pokemon appeared on the field.

"Let's show them what a true Poison-master can do!" Koga exclaimed, crossing his arms as a Crobat was flying in the air.

"Donphan, come back!" Ash called, holding up the pokeball as he returned Donphan. Maybe, if enough time passed he would be able to snap out of the confusion once he returned to the battlefield. "Pikachu, you're up!"

Glancing down to his side, Ash watched as his trusted starter took her place on the field, glaring at Koga's Crobat. Just because he managed to defeat one Pokemon didn't mean he was any closer to winning. Koga's Muk had done more than enough damage, taking a lot of energy out of Donphan, and confusing him.

"Crobat, use Super Fang!" Koga ordered, throwing his hand out. The bat Pokemon flew at an incredible speed for its size, flapping its wings rapidly in order to reach its intended target.

"Pikachu, meet it head-on with Iron Tail!" Ash replied, testing the waters with his first move. If Crobat's attack would inflict more than moderate pain it certainly wasn't a pushover, especially since Pikachu's tail would be a lot more resilient than it was usually. Catching the bat Pokemon as it bit on her tail, Ash could see Pikachu clearly being in pain. How could he have forgotten? Super Fang didn't rely on anything besides connecting, it would always drain around half of a Pokemon's energy. Meaning that Crobat relied more on speed and other things that it hadn't show yet over strength if it used such an attack, or Koga was simply hiding his hand so far.

"We're not done yet! Add Electro Ball on top of it!"

"Crobat, let go right now!"

The result wasn't a very good one for Koga, Pikachu using the momentum to send Crobat crashing into the ground, sparks clearly surrounding the bat. Landing on the ground, Ash saw his starter wince. He really started disliking Koga's Pokemon. The way they fought left little breathing room for him, limiting his options by either weakening them heavily or stopping him from using them by inflicting some type of negative status on them. He always prided himself on relying on speed over anything else, but this would push his use of speed to the limits. There was a ticking clock hanging over his head with all the status effects Koga had in his arsenal.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, taking his chance with the small lapse. If Pikachu was hurt, Crobat was as well. With both Pokemon being rather frail, especially compared to others, it couldn't take that much to take down Crobat.

"Dodge it!" Koga responded, relying on speed in this case as much as Ash relied on it. What he didn't expect was Pikachu not giving up after a failed attempt.

"Keep going, Pikachu!" Ash told her, Pikachu keeping up the assault of attacks. Not long after that, she connected with the bat, knocking him out of the air, her success being accompanied by the gasps of everyone.

"Don't let that faze you, Crobat! Use Toxic!"

* * *

Looking down on the field, Luna gasped as she saw Pikachu hit Crobat. She wasn't the only impressed by the speed and persistence Pikachu showed off.

"I gotta give it to him, the boy's certainly persistent, a trait his Pokemon seem to share." Karen spoke, arms crossed as she watched the battle unfold. Multiple Thunderbolts kept Koga from possible doing anything.

"You better watch out Karen, the boy surely will mop the floor with you should he make it past me." Bruno added, grinning as Pikachu pulled off an impressive combination of moves, managing to paralyze Crobat.

"There's a reason I'm the last Elite Four, while you aren't," Karen responded, her eyes never leaving the battle once. "Don't think I have ever seen a trainer like him. The bonds he shares with his Pokemon speaks louder than any of his accomplishments."

"He will absolutely beat you," Sabrina said, like everyone else all of her focus was on the battle, no disagreement allowed. "Everyone of you will push him to his limits, allowing him to grow at an extremely impressive rate with each battle. But, by the end of this he will be far above all of you."

"Don't draw any conclusions yet Sabrina. Koga is still a member of the Elite Four and he's one of the most veteran trainers across both regions, only surpassed by Blaine and Pryce in that regard." Lance countered, nearly regretting his words as Koga's Crobat was sent flying into the wall behind its trainer by a combination of Iron Tail and Thunderbolt.

"Crobat is unable to battle!"

Luna sighed in relief. That meant Ash only needed to take down one more Pokemon in order to win. With Pikachu exhausted by the looks of it and Donphan possibly still out of it, Ash needed to bring out his third Pokemon unless he wanted to take a risk.

"It's not over yet! Come out, Toxicroak!" Koga released his third and final Pokemon, a humanoid like Pokemon made up of dark blue and red colors.

Closing her eyes, Luna sent her thoughts over to Ash, hoping it would not distract him.

 _'I know you can do this, Ash.'_

* * *

"A Toxicroak? That won't stop us!" Ash taunted, a grin on his face. The question was what to do. Keep going with Pikachu or switch it up? While he wouldn't go with Glalie or Primeape, Pidgeot and Charizard were still both options.

"You'll find out there's more to him than you think!" Koga called back.

"We will see," Ash said, more to himself than anything else. "Pikachu, think you're up for one more?"

"Pikapi, chu pika kapi!" Pikachu stated, confidence in her voice. Ash didn't need to hear more. If Pikachu thought she was up for one more he wouldn't stop her.

"Alright, let's do it! Pikachu, use Electro Ball and then power it up with Thunderbolt!" Ash started, not bothering to test Koga's Toxicroak. The faster he won this the better.

"Sucker Punch!" Came the fast reply from his opponent, Toxicroak proceeding to run forward with its fist glowing. Much to his annoyance it struck first, a trait of Sucker Punch, and dodged the attack.

"If that combination didn't work, take this! Iron Tail together with Electro Ball!" Ash didn't hold back with the attacks he called. If Toxicroak was Koga's last Pokemon it was most likely his strongest, meaning there was point in hesitating or holding back.

Swinging her tail as she turned it metallic, Pikachu focused on gathering the needed electricity to form the orb that she would slam into her opponent.

"Use Cross Chop!" Koga ordered after the combination attack connected. It clearly struck hard, but also left a small opening for him and Toxicroak to take. "Use it while she's vulnerable!"

Ash had to accept the fact that there was nothing he could do to spare Pikachu the pain from the attack. Instead he waited. Toxicroak crossed its arms, striking Pikachu as they glowed, sending her flying a bit.

"Don't let that faze you, Quick Attack!" Throwing out his arm as he told his starter to attack, Ash watched contently as Pikachu hit Toxicroak, the opposing Pokemon tumbling backwards from the force behind the attack.

"Gunk Shot while she can't dodge!" Ash cringed at Koga's call, watching as the toxic hit Pikachu, prompting a cry of pain. It seemed to be rather potent.

"Thunder!" While it was a move he rarely bothered to use, Ash knew that now was the time to use it. The reason he and Pikachu never used was simply the fact that Pikachu couldn't really control it. It would just strike where she summoned it, trading reliability to immense power. One hit could spell disaster for most Pokemon, unless they were resilient and beefy or simply resisted the electric-type move.

Not expecting the move, Koga stared a second too long at the cloud gathering above Toxicroak, actually missing out on calling out the order to dodge.

"Drain Punch, let's go!" Koga ordered, taking his chance at trying to recover some of Toxicroak's lost health.

"Dodge it, then use Iron Tail!" Ash retaliated, not all too worried. If the attack should hit it would be a setback, but not one they couldn't overcome. To his shock, Toxicroak jumped over Pikachu's tail, before turning around and delivering a punch that wasn't to be joked about.

"Now, X-Scissor!" Koga commanded, Toxicroak crossing its arms once again. Preparing to strike the already damaged Pikachu, a response wasn't expected.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, Pikachu releasing the attack as she was struck by Toxicroak's X-Scissor. The attack, while maybe not as potent as hoped, did give them some space to work with.

"Gunk Shot!" Koga didn't let the pressure up, hoping to be able to beat Pikachu before the switch came.

"You still up for it?" Ash asked, earning a quick grin from his starter. "Well then, dodge it with Quick and then use Electro Ball!"

A trail of white followed Pikachu as she deftly dodged the poisonous move, a second later swinging her tail to attack from a distance. Having put as much force behind it as possible, Toxicroak was unable to avoid the attack, instead forced to take it directly. Grunting from pain, Toxicroak stood still as it waited for its trainer to continue the battle.

"Gotta get closer, Toxicroak! Swords Dance!" Koga changed his approach, seemingly looking to end this fast. With the restored energy from Drain Punch, Toxicroak was still fit to fight. Doing as told, Toxicroak increased his power, swords swirling around him.

"That's not good. Keep a distance with Thunderbolt!" Ash didn't currently see any other option. With the power-up, Toxicroak would pack a bigger punch which was something they couldn't afford at this stage. Pikachu was exhausted and certainly couldn't take that many hits anymore.

"You want to have it that way? Fine, Gunk Shot!" If this was a battle of ranged attacks, Gunk Shot was the only option Toxicroak had.

While they could keep going like this for some time, it wouldn't be satisfying and wasn't very reliable. Eventually one of them would get tired, allowing more attacks to him them. No. Instead Ash knew that something needed to change, and he would be the one prompting the change.

"Iron T-" Ash started, stopping himself to late.

"Sucker Punch!" Koga countered, Toxicroak running forward with more speed than usual, its fist glowing. All the speed in the world wouldn't help against Sucker Punch.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, caught off-guard by the punch to her gut.

"Pikachu, are you alright?!" Ash couldn't help but worry a little, the knowledge that Pikachu could take attacks like that fine. That she was pushed to her limit didn't help him in any way to keep his worries down. The earlier Swords Dance worked wonders in Koga's favor.

"Cross Chop!" Koga couldn't let the pressure he had created disappear, lest Ash would find a way back in. Crossing its arms, Toxicroak's arms hovered above Pikachu, poised to inflict more damage upon the electric-type.

"We won't go down that easily! Quick Attack into Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, Pikachu showing off her incredible speed as she tacked Toxicroak, releasing the electricity stored right away.

"Toxicroak!" It called out, unable to do anything about the pain coursing through its body.

"Don't let up, Pikachu! Electro Ball!" Ash followed up, pumping his fist into the air. This was their chance. If they could beat Koga now, they would be halfway through the Elite Four, with only two battles standing between them and the chance to battle Lance.

"Dodge it!" Koga responded, Toxicroak jumping backwards, barely avoiding the electric attack.

"Not done yet! Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, a big grin plastered on his face. He wouldn't let Koga stop him. No, Koga certainly wouldn't be his downfall. He had a rematch with Bruno waiting for him, something he wouldn't miss. Taking the hit, Toxicroak recovered rather fast.

"We're not done either. Get close and use Ice Punch!" Being frozen could devastate anyone, something proven in the last battle, and Koga had no problems trying that again.

"Hit him before he can strike! Quick Attack!" Dashing forward in a blur of yellow with a trail of white, Pikachu hit Toxicroak and sent him sliding backwards, having braced himself for the impact.

"Counter it with Cross Chop!" Koga commanded, Toxicroak crossing its arms as the two Pokemon clashed. "Shove her back!"

Succeeding in the task, Toxicroak stared as Pikachu stood across it. Both could see the other's exhaustion, knowing the battle would be decided soon.

"Iron Tail!" Ash called, Pikachu jumping up in the air as she coated her tail in metal. There was no need for Koga to tell what to do, as Toxicroak lifted its arms again and used Cross Chop in order to counter the attack.

"Toxicroak, X-Scissor!" Koga told his Pokemon, it didn't matter. Toxicroak's speed simply couldn't match Pikachu's speed and at such close distance there was even less of a chance that Toxicroak could be faster.

"Thunderbolt, then create some distance with Quick Attack!" Doing as told, Pikachu fired off the bolt before dashed in the opposite direction, ignoring the grunt of pain that came from her opponent.

"Toxicroak-"

"This ends here! Pikachu, let's finish this!" Ash shouted, an even bigger grin now on his lips. It couldn't get any worse than this, could it? "Volt Tackle!"

"Volt Tackle?!" Fear was an emotion that Koga rarely felt. Fear was an emotion that had no place on a battlefield. At least he wasn't the only one who was surprised. A quick glance to the side showed the surprise of his colleagues, mostly Karen's, who had never met Ash before. At a speed that he had never seen before, Pikachu was running towards him and Toxicroak, electricity surrounding her entire body and forming an aura around her.

"Now!" Ash called out. What shocked Koga the most was the weird tone in his voice. Had someone else spoken? Impossible! The gasp from Sabrina all but proved him correct.

"Pikapikapikapikapika!" Pikachu chanted as she was running. There was no way Toxicroak could put up any sort of defense against the attack, and even if he could there was a high chance it wouldn't stand a chance against Pikachu's Volt Tackle. Colliding with the defenseless Toxicroak, the contact sending out a shockwave that forced everyone to cover themselves and try to not fall over.

"Toxicroak is unable to battle! The winner is Ash Ketchum!" The referee announced, loud cheers coming from Ash's friends. A glare was what he got from Sabrina.

"Yes!" Pumping his fist into the air, Ash had no problems showing his glee and happiness to everyone else. Running across the field, he met halfway with Pikachu, picking her up and cradling her to his chest. "You were incredible."

Walking down from the stands, everybody let Ash have his moment with Pikachu. The only ones left were Ash and Koga, the referee also gone.

"When I asked you to show your power, I hadn't expected this," Koga spoke, gesturing with his hand across the field, referring to the battle that had just taken place. "That Donphan of your's certainly was impressive, but your Pikachu is something else entirely. Your Pidgeot and Charizard from last battle are also some amazing Pokemon."

"Thanks Koga," Ash replied, accepting the praise. "You will watch the remaining battles, right?"

"After you beat me like this? Of course," During the entire battle, Koga hadn't cracked a single smile. Now though, one was clearly visible. "Now go and meet your friends. I'm sure Bruno, Karen and Lance want a word with you."

"I'll see you then," With that Ash left the battlefield, walking rather slowly his Pikachu on his shoulder. "You sure feel excited, Reshiram."

'It's not my fault your excitement is contagious.' Reshiram responded, her voice a bit teasing.

"I think Sabrina noticed you more than the others, considering your voice could be heard loud and clear." Ash continued, shutting of his connection with Reshiram as he spotted everyone standing outside.

'Hey, don't leave me hanging like that!' Reshiram's outcry went unanswered.

"Hey guys!" Ash waved at everyone, getting their attention. May and Bianca were standing off to the side, talking excitedly between each other. Brock had a discussion with Sabrina, while Bruno, Karen and Lance had a talk of their own. Only Luna wasn't a part of any of the conversations. Instead she was the to acknowledge him, latching onto him with a happy that could rival the sun's brightness. No words were needed as she hugged him, only a small yelp of surprise as he pulled her closer.

"Kid, I'm so looking forward to that battle we will have tomorrow!" Bruno exclaimed, smashing his hand into Ash's back once Luna had taken a step backwards, sending him nearly crashing into the ground.

"Tomorrow? Would you be up for our battle right now?" Ash asked, confidence brimming.

"Now?!" Bruno rarely felt giddy, but now was one of the times he did. "You're on!"

"I gotta heal up everyone but then I'm ready!" The adrenaline was still running through his body, and he wouldn't waste the chance of using it. Wide eyes was what met him.

"You're gonna battle again?" Brock wondered, not really surprised. Ash was a battler, and nothing would stop him from doing what he did best. "We won't stop you."

"I'll meet you on the field in a second!" Ash said, walking the way he came, looking for a healing machine. Soon he noticed that he wasn't alone tough. Sabrina was following him.

"Tell me, what Pokemon is hanging around your neck?" Sabrina questioned him, her tone allowing for no arguing on his part. Lying wasn't an option, since she had heard the voice and probably felt something because of her psychic powers.

"I suppose you would believe me if I told you?" At least he tried getting out of it.

"Tell me."

"Reshiram is the Pokemon residing inside the pokeball." Ash, in unison with Pikachu, sighed. Really, as few people as possible were supposed to know of Reshiram. He supposed that it didn't matter with Sabrina. She would never tell anyone, unless she felt it was necessary.

"I never expected that your voice could sound so feminine," Sabrina joked, Ash chuckling alongside her. "But a Reshiram? Would that mean you're the Hero of Truth?"

"Uh, yeah." No point in denying anything when it came to Sabrina. Finding the healing machine, Ash returned Pikachu to her pokeball and put everyone's pokeball in the healing machine. While he had only used Pikachu and Donphan it couldn't hurt healing everyone else.

"I'm surprised by your choice to take on Bruno today," Sabrina said, walking beside him as they returned to where they came from. "I have no doubt that you will succeed, but why not take a break?"

"I'm feeling like I'm unstoppable right now, which I'm probably not am, and my adrenaline is helping me." Ash explained, having a high pace as he walked, Sabrina showing no signs of trouble of walking at his pace.

"Overconfidence is dangerous," Sabrina pointed out as they reached where they would separate. "I think I'll give you two some space."

"Huh?" Looking ahead, Ash saw Luna standing there, hands clasped together in front of her as she looked at the ground, Sabrina walking past her to join the others. "Luna?"

Walking up her, Ash put a hand under her chin, tilting her head upwards. A light blush was gracing her cheeks, prompting a smile from him. Getting her to look at him, Ash felt bold as he slowly leaned forward. Lips touching, Ash smiled as they slowly kissed. While many would simply describe it as nothing special, for him, and hopefully Luna, it was something incredible. While he wanted to draw it out, Ash decided against it, as they slowly pulled apart.

'Ash…' Luna spoke softly, blushing heavily as she stared into Ash's eyes. Averting her gaze, she didn't resist as Ash once again made her look into his eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Ash knew there shouldn't be anything to worry about. That didn't mean there wasn't something and he wouldn't let Luna sit on that without telling him.

 _'Yeah, it's nothing. I'm just happy that you are doing well,'_ Luna answered him truthfully, smiling at him. _'_ _You should be going now.'_

"Spending time with you is more important than battle," Ash pointed out, taking her hand and gave it a squeeze. Instead of letting it go though, he lifted it to his lips and gave it a light kiss before he let it go. "Wish me luck."

 _'Good luck!'_ Luna called after her boyfriend, waving at him as he looked back. Lingering for a second longer, she soon left her spot as she joined the others on the rafters. Now alone with Pikachu, Ash clenched his fist.

"It's just again, isn't it?" Ash stated, no answer need to his question. Taking a deep breath, he thought about Bruno and his team. Obviously he used fighting-types, but he hadn't that much to go on beyond that. He knew of Bruno's ace, his Machamp. He knew that Bruno had an Onyx last time, so there was a chance it was Steelix. He had used those two and a Hitmonlee in their last battle. He definitely had more Pokemon than that, but which he would first find out once they battled. While Pidgeot would most likely be his ace, Ash was very much aware that Bruno had multiple ways of dealing with flying-types. Meaning he needed a backup plan in case Pidgeot was defeated.

Having mulled long enough about these things, Ash walked out on the battlefield he hadn't fought on long ago. Taking his place, Pikachu still on his shoulder, he looked across the field, staring at Bruno. This was it. His third battle against the Elite Four. If he won this and the next one he would have a chance, a single chance, to become the Champion of Kanto and Johto. He wouldn't fail, not now and not tomorrow either!


	10. Chapter 10

**Took me a little more than a week to write this. Since the break has finally rolled around, I got a lot more of time on my hands, meaning I can write more. I will try to wrap tihs story up before the break ends, so you can expect 3-5 chapters before it's done. I'm also quite tired of battles, which is why next chapter will have no signs of battling, at all. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

"I thought you would never show up!" Bruno taunted, grinning as he finally would have his chance at beating Ash. Will and Koga had failed, both sitting among the others this time, Will having been unable to watch the last battle.

"Running isn't an option for me." Ash told his opponent, wearing a matching grin. Taking a pokeball from his belt, Bruno uncrossed his arms and did the same.

"Power is the force that drives us. But, what is power?" A question he longed to find the answer to. A question he never had gotten close to answer. "The answer lies in the heart of battle. Prepare yourself!"

What is power? Ash had never thought about it. Maybe Bruno was right and the answer could be found in the heart of battle. They would find out right here and now, with this battle. If a battle was what Bruno wanted, he would get one.

"Pidgeot, you're up!" Ash shouted as he threw the pokeball, catching it as it returned to his hand. Released was what he had planned to be his ace for this fight. While Bruno was more than adept at dealing with flying-types, Pidgeot would be fine for quite some time. Counter measures wouldn't stop them that easily.

"Pidgeot huh? While I admit it's powerful, don't think you can win with just your Pidgeot!" Confident words left Bruno's mouth, throwing his pokeball between his hands.

"Overly confident much?" Ash asked, waiting for Bruno to reveal his first Pokemon. Maybe it would be his Machamp, in an attempt to defeat Pidgeot as early as possible.

"Hitmonchan, let's go!" Bruno proved Ash wrong as he threw his pokeball, revealing his Hitmoncham, which was eagerly jumping back and forth as it kept punching the air.

"This is a battle between Ash Ketchum and Bruno of the Elite Four! The rules are unchanged," the referee spoke, looking at both trainers. "Begin!"

"Let's strike first! Mach Punch!" With that the battle begun. Hitmonchan started sprinting towards Pidgeot, fist raised.

Ash knew that Mach Punch was always going to strike first, the move taking priority above nearly anything. That didn't mean there weren't ways to deal with it.

"Dodge it with Quick Attack, then blow Hitmonchan away with Gust!" Ash hoped that his plan would work, considering it relied on well Hitmonchan was able to recover from using Mach Punch. If Pidgeot used Gust a second to late could mean the difference between getting in a strong hit or not.

"Don't falter!" Bruno couldn't even blink as Pidgeot moved, only a blur as it became clearly visible again. What incredible speed. "Watch out, Hitmonchan!"

The warning came to late, Hitmonchan tumbling forward as it missed its mark. Not finding any footing, Hitmonchan's eyes widened as it tried to get its fists up in order to form some sort of defence. It was a futile attempt as the wind picked up, knocking it off its feet.

"Hurricane!" Ash shouted, prompting Pidgeot to beat her wings, moving the air surrounding them the way she wanted. Soon Hitmonchan found itself at the mercy of Pidgeot's glowing wings, spinning around in the air as the Hurricane only started to spin faster.

"Hang on!" That certainly made Hitmonchan less worried.

"Get Hitmonchan as high as possible, then let go!" Doing as her trainer told, Pidgeot stopped maintaining the hurricance, her wings losing their glow. In response, Hitmonchan dropped unceremoniously to the ground, resulting in a loud thud.

"Creative one, aren't you? We don't need that though. Close Combat!" Bruno wasn't impressed that easily, something Ash had done in the previous two battles. With Pidgeot still winded, he saw his chance, taking it right away. Hitmonchan dashed foward, heavily annoyed that it got beaten so easily so far, throwing the first punch. Following that one came a series of punches, with some kicks inbetween, each punch hitting harder than the last. One directly at Pidgeot's beak, followed by a kick at her beak. Another punch, this was one striking Pidgeot's eye. Jump onto the bird, punch to her head from above. Standing up, Hitmonchan stomped Pidgeot on the head, before returning to its previous spot. Roundhouse kick striking the side of Pidgeot's head. Leaving its place in front of Pidgeot, Hitmonchan moved to the side of Pidgeot, punching the spot where her left wing connected to her body, adding a kick. Satisfied, Hitmonchan returned to its trainer's side.

"Pidgeot, are you okay?!" Ash's heart was racing, having been unable to do anything as Hitmonchan had delivered the brutal beating that was Close Combat, Pikachu crying out as well.

"Pidgeot." Not wanting to worry her trainer, Pidgeot tried to assure him that everything was fine, flexing her wings in an attempt to calm him down.

"Let's go then! Heat Wave!" Believing the large bird, Ash went straight back at it. Using the exhaustion and weakened defence that came with Close Combat, there was a small window to get in a free attack. Opening her beaten beak, Pidgeot gathered the heat before releasing a wind of flames at Hitmonchan. Unable to react in time, Hitmonchan took the flames searing at its body in stride. Revenge was sweet.

"Such a powerful attack after Hitmonchan's Close Combat? The bird has my respect," Bruno was impressed. More than impressed. This was what he was looking for! "Thunder Punch and Ice Punch!"

Ash gulped as Hitmonchan's fists glowed, each one glowing differently. If both of them connected with Pidgeot they were in a lot of trouble. Thankfully Pidgeot didn't need to be told that she would avoid getting hit by the two attacks, both being very effective against her. Hitmonchan surprised them though with a burst of speed, its Ice Punch missing but the Thunder connecting.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, once again using the fact that there was a small window to strike after Hitmonchan attacked. What he hadn't calculated for were the small bolts surrounding Pidgeot. She had been paralyzed! Being lucky this time, Pidgeot managed to fly straight into Hitmonchan, sending the Pokemon tumbling backwards.

"Recover with Drain Punch!" A quick retalliation attack, abusing the small distance between them, prompted a grunt from Pidgeot as her energy was drained away by Hitmonchan's attack.

"Air Slash, now!" Ash ordered, like Bruno using the fact that there was practically no distance between Pidgeot and Hitmonchan, meaning Pidgeot didn't need aim in order hit her opponent. Pidgeot's wings glowed as threw saw disc-like energy blades at Hitmonchan who cried out in pain at the impact, knocked off its feet.

"Get up!" Bruno called, looking at Hitmonchan who was standing up after some time. "That's the spirit! Mach Punch!"

"Double Team!" Confusion was what Bruno felt as Ash issued the command, Pidgeot rapidly copying herself until she surrounded Hitmonchan. "Let them come to us before you strike!"

"If you insist, Mach Punch on the one in front of you!" Bruno hoped he guessed right.

"Wrong! Pidgeot, Aerial Ace!" The remaining copies of Pidgeot disappeared as the real one shot forward, coming from Hitmonchan's left. Striking Hitmonchan, glowing white streaks were the only easy way to track Pidgeot's movement.

"Hitmonchan, go for another Close Combat!" Bruno knew that he needed to get rid of this Pidgeot soon, else his remaining Pokemon would be in trouble.

"Not this time! U-Turn!" Ash decided to change the pace right there, Pidgeot flying forward once again with her high speed, striking Hitmonchan before she turned into a white orb as she returned to her pokeball. If needed he would use Primeape against Machamp, which Ash knew Bruno had as one of his Pokemon with it being his ace.

"Are you finally gonna show something we haven't yet?!" Bruno called across the battlefield, looking intensely at Ash.

"Keep dreaming and better deal with this! Charizard, let's finish what Pidgeot started!" Ash threw his pokeball, Pidgeot's pokeball already back on his belt. Charizard landed on the ground with a heavy thud, the ground shaking from the impact as he let out a deafening roar. He was more than ready to beat that Hitmonchan, glaring at it as he waited for his trainer's command to attack.

"Thunder Punch, now!" Where as Ice Punch would have been effective against Pidgeot, it wouldn't be very effective against Charizard, since he was part fire-type. That removed one of Bruno's options.

Fight or flight. If the Thunder Punch hit it could do some damage, but Charizard had never liked the flight approach. "Send it flying with Dragon Tail!"

"Huh?!" Not expecting such an approach, Bruno was caught offguard as Charizard flew straight at Hitmonchan, tail glowing as Charizard slammed it into Hitmonchan, sending the Pokemon flying across the field before slowly stopping in front of Bruno.

"Get close and use Flamethrower!" Ash called, Charizard using his strength to propel himself forward, quickly approaching Hitmonchan. Having managed to stand up, there was nothing Hitmonchan could do as the flames gathered in Charizard's maw were unleashed, covering the Pokemon completely.

"Hang on, Hitmonchan!" Bruno shouted, doubting that Hitmonchan would still be able to fight after that combination of attacks. One could always hope though. As soon as the flames cleared, swirls could be seen in Hitmonchan's eyes.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle!" The referee declared, flag raised in Bruno's direction. Recalling his fallen Hitmonchan, Bruno looked at the pokeball speaking his thanks to Hitmonchan.

"Well done, Ash! But this was just the warm-up!" He shouldn't be that confident after he was put on the back-foot this early, but he still had two strong Pokemon in the waiting, one of them going to show what it was made of now.

"Not the greatest warm-up if I should be honest!" Ash shot back, enjoying the banter they had going. There was a reason why he had looked forward to this battle more than all the other battles, except his possible battle against Lance.

"We'll see! Hariyama, you're up!" Throwing the pokeball, Bruno caught it as it returned, Hariyama landing on the field, making the battlefield shake even more than Charizard had managed to. While he often stayed true to their regions, Hariyama had been perfect for his team, complementing what they had lacked in bulk while the rest of his team made up for Hariyama's lack in raw offensive power. That didn't mean Hariyama was a pushover when it came to power. It certainly packed a punch if needed. Those large hands were there for a reason.

"Nothing we can't handle! It's time to show them what you're truly made off! Slash!" Ash called out, Charizard taking flight once as he flew up higher and higher before quickly descending on Hariyama.

"Use Bulk Up!" Bruno countered, Hariyama powering up as Charizard was about to strike. Opening its eyes it looked at Charizard as the fire-starter was about to strike. "Grab him!"

"No, get out of there!" Ash shouted as Hariyama moved in to fulfill its trainer's command. Shoving away the claw that Charizard tried to strike with, Hariyama grabbed his other claw.

"Slam him into the ground and then use Low Kick!" Bruno followed up, Hariyama using its natural strength to slam Charizard into the ground, ducking as it delievered its kick, stopping Charizard from getting up properly.

"Flamethrower!" Ash ordered, slightly fed up with Bruno's Hariyama already. He knew that it could have Thick Fat as its ability, meaning Charizard's fire-attacks would be less effective. But that wouldn't stop Charizard from inflicting some good damage. Bellowing out the flames straight at Hariyama, the large Pokemon tumbled backwards at the impact of the attack.

"The strength of those flames are impressive, though not enough! Payback!" Bruno smirked as he called out the move, enjoying the look of surprise on Ash's face. With the damage inflicted by Charizard's Flamethrower, Payback would pack a punch. And with no room to really maneuver Charizard had no choice but to accept the return attack.

"Strike with Wing Attack right after!" Ash told Charizard, the fire-type only grunting as he was struck by the open palm of Hariyama. Far from out though, Charizard stretched his wings as they glowed white before bringing them down on Hariyama, who didn't react in time to block.

* * *

"He keeps impressing, doesn't he?" Lance asked, the question mostly directed at Karen. He, Bruno and Koga all had experience with Ash, while Karen didn't believe what they were saying about him.

"I'll change your opinion of him once I've beaten him." Karen replied, always the confident one.

"You don't even know what his last two Pokemon are." Sabrina pointed out, rather annoyed with the dark-type Elite Four. They had never been on the greatest terms, but this was close to pushing it too far.

"I'm quite sure of it that Ash will use one of his two still unknown Pokemon, for two different reason." Brock added to the discussion, knowing what Ash's last two Pokemon were. While he could be hiding both of them, the thrill of using one of them against Bruno would be too big for Ash to resist.

"Then enlighten me." Karen sneered, not very happy that everyone seemed to be against her, the battle raging on below. A close range Dragon Breath had knocked Hariyama down, the large Pokemon having a hard time getting up again.

"If he should need his third Pokemon he will use it, not because it's his best against Bruno but because it's part of his enjoyment of battling, and he wants you to know what's coming." Brock explained calmly, smirking as Charizard shoved Hariyama backwards with Slash.

"He wants to show me what he has up his sleeve? If he wants to I won't be the one stop him." Karen said, focus never wavering from the battle. Anything that happened down there could help her if Ash should win.

* * *

"Dragonbreath!" Ash called out, toning out the discussion held on the stands, arm thrown out. Bruno's Hariyama proved to be a lot bulkier than he had thought. Did that stop him in any way? No, it only slowed him down. The draconic energy came naturally to Charizard, who had no problems with releasing it open his opponent.

"Take it and then use Close Combat!" Bruno told Hariyama, hoping for a result similar to what Hitmonchan had managed to do against Pidgeot. Running forwards, at a surprising speed, Hariyama opened with a chop-like attack towards Charizard's right wing, followed up by one to the neck. Dodging the first one, Charizard only managed to avoid getting hit where the hit was supposed to land, instead taking a hit to the side.

"Enough of this!" Ash shouted, fist balled. It had worked once against Pidgeot, but he wouldn't allow another beating like that. "Overheat!"

"Ah, crap." Bruno muttered, maybe having been a bit too reckless in his assault. The intended barrage of hits stopped as Charizard jumped backwards, growling loudly. The white orb that was Overheat glowed brightly in the lizard's mouth before it was unleashed upon Hariyama. Spiralling around the white fire were orange flames, the attack relentlessly striking Hariyama, with no means of escape.

"Slash!" Ash went on, hoping that all the pressure would eventually have Hariyama cave in. That Pokemon was tough. Didn't mean he was against a good challenge though. "Now Flamethrower!"

"Dodge it, Hariyama!" Bruno shouted, hoping their training it would pay off, especially in a moment like this. Doing as told , the large Pokemon to the side, avoiding the attack meant for it.

"Dragon Tail!" Ash ordered, simply to trying to whittle Hariyama down. Maybe he should finally go for the switch, since Hariyama's increased resistance to fire didn't do them any favor. Charizard swung his tail in a wide src, hitting Hariyama in its stomach, a grunt being its only response.

"Cross Chop!" Bruno returned the favor, Hariyama crossing its arms before going in and striking Charizard with its large hands, knocking Charizard down.

"Return, Charizard!" Ash caled, holding up Charizard as he returned the lizard to it. It was time tomchange the pace of the battle. He had planned to save him for his battle against Karen, but using him now would be his besy option.

"You're recalling him?" Bruno questioned his decision, but said nothing as Ash confidently picked his next Pokemon. As strong as Charizard was, Bruno couldn't help but worry at Ash's choice. If he recalled his Charizard, what would be waiting to take his place?

"Primeape, it's your turn!" Ash declared, throwing his pokeball, releasing Primeape. Lacking the weight of Charizard and Hariyama, Primeape was awfully quiet and barely made any sound as he stared at Hariyama

"A Primeape?!" Bruno hadn't expected Ash to pick a fighting-type against him. Against Karen it would have been understandable, but against him? "I won't be beaten by a fighting-type! Hariyama, brace yourself for any attack!"

"That won't be enough against Primeape! Let's show them why, Close Combat!" His Pokemon had been on the receiving end of that attack twice already, so it was time for him to return the favor. Eagerly sprinting forwards, Primeape ran as fast as he could before jumping into the air, preparing a kick against the defending Hariyama. The larger Pokemon was not ready for the strength behind the kick, as Primeape simply crashed against the larger Pokemon, getting rid of the defence instantly. An uppercut followed by another one, combined with a kick to the stomach. A dozen of punches to head and other parts of the body, kicks weaved inbetween. Not slowing down at all was an impressive feat, seeing how long Primeape went at it without taking any sort of break.

"What on earth was that?" Bruno asked, not expecting an answer from anyone.

"That's Primeape for you," Ash answered grinning. "And he's far from done!"

Standing up after Primeape was finished, Hariyama shook a little from its exhaustion but took a battle stance anyway. Looking up at his friends, especially focusing on Luna, Ash smiled at them. Their presence gave him strength. Moving to the other Elites and Lance, he had to turn away as he saw how pale Karen looked. She truly seemed worried about Primeape, which was good for him. Holding in his laugh, he focused on Hariyama.

"Earthquake!" Ash picked up where he had left off, Primeape leaping into the air, gravity pulling him back down. Using the momentum, the Pokemon slammed into the ground, making everything shake and the field to split, leaving it uneven. Perfect for a switch, should he so choose. The large Pokemon losts its footing as it fell to the ground, this time not moving for quite some time. As it stood up, it was clear though that it was exhausted beyond imagination, eventually giving in and falling over.

"Hariyama is unable to battle!" The referee shouted, earning cheers from Ash's friends.

"Man, you're on a roll, aren't you?" Bruno questioned, the answer already there. "I still got one Pokemon left and as long he stands I'm not out! Machamp, avenge your fallen comrades!"

The four-armed Pokemon entered the fray, flexing his muscles as he judged Primeape. This would be far tougher than any of Bruno's previous Pokemon, with it being his ace. Machamp had absolutely destroyed him last time he battled Bruno and it had most likely only gotten stronger since then.

"Dynamic Punch!" Bruno called, taking action first. His ace charged up his attack, running closer and closer to Primeape before jumping.

"I hate confusion," Ash muttered. If the attack hit, Primeape would be confused no matter what. So dodging was the only option in this case. "Don't let that attack hit you!"

"Keep going until you hit!" Bruno ordered, Machamp keeping his assault going, swinging his fists as he tried to hit Primeape. Confusion would really work wonders in Bruno's favor, since it would make Primeape less reliable when it came to attack and even easier to hit.

"Duck and then use Mega Kick!" Ash had to attack, else he wouldn't win this. While Primeape most likely wouldn't get exhausted, him getting tired was certainly possible.

Charging up his attack, Primeape waited for another swing, ducking in time while kicking at the same time with his glowing leg.

"Let's change it up! Ice Punch!" Bruno swiftly altered the way he was going at it, Machamp switching arms as his fist was covered in ice. Unable to react, Primeape blocked the attack with his two arms. Much to the chagrin of Ash though, Primeape's arms froze.

"This is not good." Ash's options were very limited now that Primeape couldn't use his arms. While he could still kick, that wouldn't work that well since Primeape didn't have his arms to help with the balance needed.

"Heavy Slam!" Bruno followed up, hoping to knock out Primeape so Ash would at least lose one of his three Pokemon. Anything else would be an embarassment.

"Dodge it and then use Final Gambit!" Ash shouted, watching as Primeape jumped to the side, which lead to Machamp hitting the ground instead of Primeape. Recovering, the four armed Pokemon noticed the black leg Primeape was lifting but was unable to avoid the kick he received. Looking proud, the smaller Pokemon fainted nearly instantly after the attack.

"You couldn't even leave me a single KO?" Bruno asked, grunting in annoyance. He had no idea how much that Final Gambit had taken out of Machamp, besides that it was probably was quite a lot of damage since Primeape hadn't taken that much.

"So you can brag that you took down at least one Pokemon of your future Champion? No thanks," Ash replied, recalling his fallen Pokemon. Primeape had served him well so far, but now it was time to finish it. "Charizard, finish what we have started!"

"Machamp, let's show them that we won't go down without a fight! Ice Punch!" Another freeze would definitely work in Bruno's favor.

"Slash!" Ash hoped that Charizard either simply avoid the incoming punch while striking, or the secondary effect of Ice Punch kicked in. This time though they had much more to work with, since Machamp wasn't nearly as heavy as Hariyama. At the same time Final Gambit had weakened Machamp. While it surely hadn't decided anything yet, every small thing helped.

"Show them what an uppercut looks like!" Bruno shouted, Machamp dodging Charizard's claw and performing a very painful looking uppercut on Charizard's jaw.

"Flamethrower while he's close!" Ash countered, Charizard glaring at Machamp as he breathed out the flames.

"Keep punching him!" Bruno's ace did as told, enduring the pain it received from Charizard, hoping to outlast the lizard.

"Retreat!" Ash called out as he noticed that Charizard's left claw had frozen. "Use your frozen claw to strike!"

Since it was frozen, using his claw was a bigger effort than before, but nothing that bothered Charizard too much. Using the extra weight to increase the power behind his swing, he struck Machamp in the chest sending him flying across the field.

"Follow up with Dragon Tail!" Ash ordered, Charizard moving towards Machamp with a single flap of his wings, his tail glowing as he hovered above the downed Pokemon.

"Perfect. Use Stone Edge!" Bruno had Ash where he wanted him, with no way out. Preparig his attack, Charizard had no time to react as stones were sent hurling at him, hitting his body in multiple spots.

"Pull back!" Ash cried out, flinching a few times as the stones struck. Charizard wouldn't be held down by a single attack, that didn't make it any easier watching though.

"Keep going with Stone Edge! Don't give them any chance to retalliate!" With that Bruno forced Ash into a corner, leaving him no chance of attacking while at the same time Charizard would keep taking damage from the stones.

"Fly straight at Machamp and use Slash!" Ash changed his approach. He had to get close, since none of Charizard's attacks would be able to hit Machamp from such a distance. Enduring the stones that struck, Charizard let out a challenging roar as he was flying closer and closer to Machamp.

"Dodge-" Bruno tried to call out, stopping himself as Machamp hit the ground.

"Overheat!" Ash shouted, watching in satisfication as Charizard unleashed the hell that Overheat was at such a small range. "Now, Flaming Seismic Toss!"

"Flaming Seismic Toss?!" Surprises were seemingly common when it came to Ash, something Bruno found out in that moment. "What the hell is Flaming Seismic Toss?!"

"You're about to find out!" Ash replied, now grinning. Battling was what he lived for, even if watching Pokemon getting hurt wasn't part of what he liked about battling. "Let's go!"

Charizard roared in agreement as he grabbed Machamp, slowly starting to ascend into the air. Machamp struggled in Charizard's grasp, desparately trying to break free, but to no avail. While flying, Charizard started to use Fire Spin, going higher and higher until he reached the roof of the battlefield. As soon as he did, he took a nosedive back down, rapidly descending towards the ground, spinning as he did with the fire surrounding him and Machamp. Crashing into the ground, a grunt and a scream of pain could be heard, leaving no doubt about the success of the attack. Flying from the crater left behind, Charizard landed on Ash's side of the field, grinning at his trainer.

"Machamp, get up!" Bruno shouted, his ace struggling to get up. He had sorely underestimated Ash. "We can't lose here!"

"You can and you will," Ash spoke, a fire burning in his eyes as he stood there with Charizard and Pikachu at his side. "Looks like he needs some help with getting up. Use Dragon Tail to help him up!"

Bruno grit his teeth as Charizard sent Machamp hurling, who had just gotten up.

"Stone Edge!" The move had proven to be very effective, since it kept Charizard at a distance or inflicted a lot of damage should Charizard get close.

"Send the stones back with Dragon Tail!" Ash called out, Charizard swinging his tail at the incoming projectiles, sending them straight at Machamp. Surprised by the returning projectiles, Machamp didn't defend or dodge in time, instead getting hit by his own attack.

"Get close and use Thunder Punch!" Bruno ordered, taking a risk. Getting close meant being at the mercy of Charizard's attacks. But, with Stone Edge proving less effective it was his best option.

"Slash!" Ash knew what Bruno was trying and had no intentions of letting it work. Pushing himself off the ground, Charizard pulled his right back as he waited for Machamp to get close enough for him to attack.

"Dodge it!" Bruno trusted in Machamp's ability to pull through in difficult situations. They had done it before and they would do it again. Rolling to the side, Charizard stopped and turned around, coming face to face with Machamp's crackling fist.

"Block!" A direct hit could be dangerous after such a long time of battling. Listening to Ash, Charizard lifted his arms as Machamp's fist struck, putting everything he had into not faltering.

"Push through!" Bruno saw his chance to take Charizard down and he would take it.

"Shove him back and finish this with Blast Burn!" Ash screamed, adrenaline running through his body. He was exhausted himself from standing on the field for such a long time, feeling exhaustion kick in. Giving it his all, Charizard managed to push Machamp backwards, leaving him wide open to the fiery red orb that left Charizard's maw. The impact resulted in an explosion, covering the area closest to the two Pokemon.

"Machamp is unable to battle! Ash Ketchum is the winner and will advance to face Elite Four Karen!" The referee shouted, the final result declared.

"Yes!" Ash pumped his fist into the air, Pikachu mimicking her trainer and sharing his excitement. Running up to Charizard, Ash latched onto his neck, wrapping his arms around his trusted Pokemon. The excitement was palpable in the air.

"You did great, old friend," Bruno said to his fallen ace, pointing his pokeball at Machamp as he recalled him. "Hey Ash."

Letting go off Charizard, Ash recalling him before he looked at Bruno, wondering what he wanted.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Bruno asked, wearing an expectant expression.

"Figured it out? Oh yeah, I have," Ash responded, smiling at the Elite Four member. "Power is different for everyone. My power comes from the bond and trust I share with my Pokemon and friends. I trust them completely, as do they. That's my power."

"I'm happy you found your answer to the question. I haven't found mine yet, but I will keep looking until I do. Before I can do that though, I got some battles to watch. Isn't that so?"

"It is," Karen cut in, smiling weakly. "I'm impressed, which doesn't mean I will go easy on you, tomorrow when we battle. I await you around afternoon here, ready to battle. Until then."

With that, Karen left the stands, Koga and Will following her. Lance stayed a little longer, looking at Ash before he departed with a nod. That only left his friends up there, all of them leaving as well.

"You better go with your friends. Your Pokemon will certainly appreciate some healing and mine would to, and I won't deny you your time off," Bruno spoke, holding out his fist. Smiling at his opponent, Ash bumped his fist with Bruno's, taking his leave with a wave.

Taking it easy sounded nice. His Pokemon deserved it after two hard fought battles.

'You too should take it easy~' Reshiram pointed out, laughing as she did. 'Pallet Town sounds like a nice place to be right now, doesn't it?'

"Yeah it does," Ash replied, enjoying the idea. "Once I've healed everyone up we're heading straight back home."

Set on what to do, Ash sighed in relief. He was close, so close. It would only get tougher from here on out though. Approaching the healing machine, Ash put Charizard's, Pidgeot's and Primeape's pokeball in the healing machine, leaning against it as he waited for the healing to be complete. A bling announced that the healing was, prompting Ash to remove the pokeballs and fasten them back on his belt. Going a little faster, Ash couldn't wait to get back home and spend the rest of the day relaxing. It was only early afternoon now, meaning his mom was probably waiting with dinner at home. Good grief was he hungry. Spotting all of his friends standing where they usually stood, Ash grinning at them as they spotted him.

"Sabrina, take us to Pallet Town," He said, not giving anyone a chance to speak. Simply nodding, Sabrina gestured for Alakazam to step forward. Already feeling the teleportation starting, Ash spoke before they left.

"And you're staying with us."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, look. It's a chapter without a battle for once! Sorry for the slightly delayed chapter. I've been enjoying summer way too much. If you like fluff this chapter is for you. Note that this chapter has a lot happening, I probably crammed in to much in those 10 pages, but whatever. I wanted to get everything out so the next chapter can be the battle. Do expect there to be 3-4 chapters left of this story. Enjoy!**

 **For clarification: "Normal dialogue"**

 **'Thoughts or Reshriram speaking.**

 **_'Luna speaking'_**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

While battling was his passion, he would any day prefer being outside over being on a battlefield that was indoors. He had one left, and if he should win he would battle Lance. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts. He had won his last three battles in a convincing fashion, so there was a reason to celebrate. What he managed in his last three battles was more than he had managed to accomplish for his entire journey across the world. He would never trade what he had experienced in his travels for any accomplishment in the world though.

"There you are!" Ash looked up as his Mother called out to them, smiling widely at them. A hand clasped his shoulder as Ash was about to greet his Mom. Identifying who the hand belonged to wasn't particularly hard.

"Good job out there," Brock said, smiling at his old friend as they walked towards the house and Ash's mom. "Though I'm sure you're in need of some filling of that stomach."

"Hey!" Ash called out, not laughing the slightest at his friend's comment. "I wouldn't say no to something to eat though."

"Everything is set up in the back, with the weather being so nice and all. There's more than enough for everyone." Delia spoke, leading them all through a small gate to the garden surrounding the house. While she usually rarely cooked for so many people, cooking for six people was something she could handle. It was for her son and his friends after all.

"Wow," Ash was somewhat speechless as they reached the back. A large table had been placed outside, a large variety of cold dishes laying on the table. "You really outdid yourself, Mom."

No one disagreed with his statement as all of them took a plate and took whatever they thought looked good, even though everything looked absolutely delicious.

'What should I get?' Luna wondered, trailing behind Ash as she inspected everything that was lying on the table. She wasn't familiar with half of the dishes on the table, panicking slightly as she just stood there with her plate in hand. She couldn't simply take something while hoping it was good, plus it wouldn't look very good in front of Ms. Ketchum. Looking to Ash for help, Luna found help from a different source.

"You certainly look lost, standing there with an empty plate." Bianca pointed out, smiling at her best friend as she glanced at her already filled plate. Compared to say Ash and May, she had only gotten a measurable amount of things. Enough to keep her from being hungry, but not too much.

' _I got no idea what anything really is, so could you please help me?'_ Luna asked in a slightly pleading tone.

"Of course I can," Bianca replied, starting to point out what the different things were while drawing comparisons to things they had at home. "I think you would like that one especially."

Soon Luna had filled her plate, with Bianca's help, sitting on one of the many chairs that were available. Watching what was going on around her, she found May and Bianca in a discussion about something where May gestured heavily with her arms as she most likely tried to describe something to the other girl. Brock and Ash's mother were talking about something she couldn't hear, so she eventually tried to spot Ash. Finding him with Sabrina leaning against the wall of the house, he noticed her eyes on him. Smiling at her, Ash shook his head at something Sabrina had said while still smiling, earning a small laugh from the psychic. Walking up to them, she certainly didn't expect to Ash to gently put a hand on her waist as he guided her to his original spot next to Sabrina.

"Gotta admit that you got a lot of variety on that plate of your's," Ash pointed out, glancing at all the food she had packed on her plate. "I know I got a lot, but I didn't go for that _much_ variety."

' _I didn't know what everything was, so I asked Bianca for help,'_ Luna admitted sheepishly, blushing as she spoke. _'Every dish looked great. I had to try everything.'_

"Not blaming you for that." Ash said, tightening his grip slightly as he pulled her closer, already finished with eating while she still was at it. And Ash was right, no one could blame Luna as she was eating all of the great food that Ash's mother had prepared for them.

About to say something more, noise coming from the gate caught his head to the side a little, he waited for someone to appear since he had heard the gate open. While he hadn't expected them, it wasn't the biggest surprise to him to see their "neighbors" enter their garden.

"Hey, Professor, Gary!" Ash called out, the garden's entire attention turning to the two newcomers.

"Oh my, you definitely outdid yourself Delia." Prof. Oak said as he walked into the backyard.

"Is out doing yourself something that runs in the Ketchum blood?" Gary asked, his head turning as he took everything in while holding a pokeball, standing next to his grandfather. The pokeball was what caught Ash's attention, though he didn't mention it just yet.

"Thank you Professor. Both of you are welcome to join us in our small celebration." Ash's mother replied, smiling at her two new guests. Shrugging his shoulders, Gary didn't say no to such an offer as Ms. Ketchum entered the house to get more plates for them.

"What brings you two here?" Ash wondered, letting go off Luna as he met Gary on the grass and shook his and Prof. Oak's hand.

"For the most part I'm here to ask you for a favor," Prof. Oak explained, his grandson nodding in agreement. "The other reason is to congratulate you on your two victories today. I heard they were more than impressive."

"A favor? You know I'm more than willing to help." Ash didn't need to tell everyone, since it was common knowledge. Laughs echoed across the backyard at Ash's enthusiasm to help the Professor.

"I told you he would agree in a heartbeat, Gramps," Gary's confidence seeped through his words as he spoke, his grandfather glaring weakly at him. "Catch."

Noticing the flick of Gary's wrist, Ash had no problem catching the object thrown at him in time. It was the pokeball he had seen Gary holding earlier. Unsure about what to do with the pokeball, he voiced his concerns.

"And what exactly is the favor?" Ash had multiple guesses, but better be sure than keep guessing.

" _Ugh_ , and I had thought you had gotten smarter over the years," Gary looked somewhat annoyed that he actually would need to explain the situation to his friend. "Inside that pokeball is a Pokemon we want you to try to take care off."

"You couldn't do that yourself?"

"There lies the problem. Gramps, explain it to him."

Sighing, Prof. Oak approached Ash. "The Pokemon inside is a somewhat special case, both that it doesn't come from any of our neighboring regions and that it hasn't been very receptive to the trainers that chose it back home."

It didn't take long before it dawned on Ash what was wanted from him. "So you thought that I would be able to succeed where others failed?"

"We won't think Ash, we know. Your skills with Pokemon are something else, which is why we came to you. The Pokemon inside is a fierce battler, pushing itself beyond its limits as often as it can. You're no different when it comes to your training. You even train with your Pokemon, and that will certainly earn you the respect of the Pokemon we want you to take care off."

"I see," Ash responded thoughtfully, looking at the pokeball in his hand. "Alright, I'll do it. Would you tell me where the Pokemon comes from?"

Having been eating throughout the entire time, Gary swallowed what he had just put in his mouth.

"It comes from the Kalos region, being one of its three starters. A friend of Gramps, Prof. Sycamore, sent it since it simply didn't stay with any trainer for a longer period of time."

"Let's meet him then." Ash said as he simply pressed the button on the pokeball in order to release the Pokemon inside. Left behind the beam that had emerged from the pokeball was a small blue frog, wearing a mane of bubbles around its neck. Crouching, Ash tried to get to the Pokemon's level.

"Froakie." The frog greeted Ash, already holding out its hand.

"Well, hi there," Ash greeted back, smiling at his newest companion. "I'm Ash."

Much to his surprise he wasn't alone as Luna appeared at his side, crouching as well.

' _Hello.'_ Luna spoke softly, giggling as Froakie's eyes widened while backing away a little.

"You guys know what gender it is, right?" Ash asked.

"It's a he." Gary answered, watching the interactions carefully. By the looks of it Froakie had an idea who Luna was, prompting his reaction.

"Hey, don't be afraid of her. She's not going to do anything to you." Ash assured his newest Pokemon, who after some hesitating accepted his words.

"Since you're getting along already we're off. Thanks for the food Ms. Ketchum." Gary added as he left his plate behind while walking for the gate at the front.

"You're truly an excellent cook, Delia. I wish I could live off this every day," The Proffesor added as he followed his grandson. "And congratulations again, Ash."

"Thanks!" Ash called after them, his attention quickly returning to Froakie. Now everyone was standing around them, looking interested at the Kalos starter.

"Let's see what the pokedex says about him." May said, taking out her pokedex as she opened it and prepared to scan the frog Pokemon.

"That won't work," Brock pointed out. "No one of us got a pokedex that is updated for the Kalos region."

"Bummer, I was interested in seeing what it could tell us." May pouted as she put her pokedex back where it came from.

"Would some of you be willing to help me get everything inside?" Ash's mother asked, standing in the doorway of the house, hands on her waist. Brock volunteered, together with May and Bianca, leaving Ash and Luna together with his new Froakie while Sabrina simply watched them interact from afar.

"Shall we try to get to know each other, Froakie?" The suggestion was accepted willingly by Froakie, nodding as Ash started talking about everything that came to his mind and that was possibly relevant. Pikachu, who had been busy with May's and Brock's Pokemon, joined in on their talk, animatedly talking about things Ash didn't mention.

* * *

After having gotten to know Froakie, Ash had spent the rest of the day in many different ways. He had spent some time with May, since they really hadn't talked that _much_ since they had been in Hoenn, discussing what had transpired since then. Comparing their observations, May especially asked about Reshiram and why Ash hadn't let her out again since Altomare. Reshiram didn't really care about being outside, even though she wouldn't say no if the opportunity presented itself. Besides that Reshiram drew a lot of attention, and people didn't need to know of her. The two Oaks would not be persuaded to not perform their research on her, unlike Luna who they let be. His time spent with Brock wasn't as long, since they had been travelling an entire region before going to Altomare and back to Pallet. Bianca had stolen Luna away from him, leaving him with Sabrina. The conversation they had wasn't something he would forget easily.

* * *

" _I actually had a vision, or rather a dream, about your Froakie prior to today." Sabrina spoke, a contemplating expression on her face as she stared somewhere Ash couldn't see._

" _A vision? About what exactly?" Ash's waited patiently for Sabrina's answer. He knew that she could see the future and such to a certain degree, but for her to mention it to him meant it had to be something concerning him. What exactly could she have been seen where Froakie was involved?_

" _Just because I can see into the future doesn't mean I know a lot and what I see doesn't even have to have any relevance. The future isn't set in stone. A single change somewhere along the line could alter everything. What I saw though was interesting, to say the least."_

" _Do tell me then, what did you see involving Froakie?"_

 _Sabrina chuckled at Ash's questioning. "I suppose it didn't really involve Froakie, or at least not in the way he is now."_

" _Huh?"_

" _I saw him as the Greninja he will eventually become."_

" _That's to be expected since I do plan on using him once I'm done with my current battles."_

" _Did I say I was done yet? No? Good, then listen," Sabrina's tone left no room for arguing, so Ash instead simply shut up as he waited for Sabrina to continue. "While I have never seen a Greninja in person yet, I have seen them on picture. That Greninja in my vision didn't look like the Greninja showed by a pokedex."_

" _Gonna keep that in mind then." Ash said as he processed what Sabrina had told him._

" _But that's not all. You were battling with that Greninja of your's against someone I didn't recognize. Black hair, with a dark-colored jacket and a blue scarf of sorts."_

 _While there was a large chance he was wrong, the picture that appeared in his mind told him otherwise. The description fit the trainer with the Charizard he had fought back in Altomare. So he would meet him again?_

" _You seem to know who I am talking about." Sabrina stopped his thoughts from going further._

" _Yeah, I battled him not too long ago."_

" _The fire in your eyes tells me everything. Battling strong trainers is something you do seem to enjoy." The psychic pointed out, hitting the nail right on the head._

" _Battling you is something I would enjoy." Ash got out, grinning at Sabrina._

" _Don't get ahead of yourself, Ketchum. You still have at least one battle left, so focus on that instead."_

" _Will do."_

 _As Sabrina was about to leave him, Ash thought of something he wanted to ask her._

" _Hey Sabrina!" Knowing he had her attention as she stopped, he asked away. "Could you tell me something about Karen?"_

" _Do you expect any help from me? While I may not be her biggest fan, I would never give an opponent of her an unfair advantage. Figure out yourself what you want to do against her."_

* * *

Shaking his head, Ash leaned back and closed his eyes as kept replaying the conversation in his head. The Froakie he had just met was something special. What exactly made him special Ash didn't know, and he wouldn't find out until Froakie had evolved all the way into Greninja. Battling against the Charizard trainer from Altomare was worth looking forward to since Pikachu had been evenly matched with Charizard. Ash didn't even want to know how powerful that Charizard would get if it Mega Evolved. The fact that Sabrina didn't tell him anything about Karen didn't matter. He had been fine without help before, so he would be fine now as well. He hadn't faced a Dark-type Master yet, so it would be a new experience for him and his Pokemon.

'You seem deep in thought, dear. Is there anything I should know or worry about?' Reshiram's voice echoed through his head, prompting Ash to open his eyes.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about the future, would you?" Ash asked, closing his eyes again. Listening to Reshiram's telepathic voice was soothing, even though it wasn't truly telepathic since the Dragon wasn't a psychic-type. Legendaries did have their ways though of communicating with people.

'I can't see the future like your psychic friend.' Reshiram pointed out. 'Do you think you could let me out today?'

"Remind me later today and I'll let you out when hopefully no one will notice you." He replied, about to take a small nap before dinner was ready. Two battles in a row were taxing, with there being barely any time for him to come up with new strategies between battles. Lunch had filled him up, but he was more than ready for his Mom's brilliant cooking. Nearly dozing off, a soft-spoken voice stopped him from doing just that.

' _Ash?'_

'It seems like you got a guest~' Reshiram's presence left him alone with those words.

"I'm out here!" Ash called, turning his head to the side as he waited for Luna to come into his view. Besides spending a lot of time with Froakie and his Pokemon together, they hadn't gotten any chance really to talk with Bianca stealing her away and all. What they had learnt though was Froakie's fierce spirit, something Charizard had found largely entertaining. A rivalry, if it could be even called that, had been struck immediately between them.

' _Thought you were still inside'_ Luna admitted as she joined him on the porch. With there being no chair available for her to sit on, a very different idea made itself known to Ash. If he would have been asked if he would do that a month or so ago, the answer would have definitely been no. Now though…

"Come here!" Ash said, leaning forwards and grabbing Luna by the waist before falling back against the chair again and taking her with him.

"Eek!" Luna squeaked in surprise, a high-pitched sound leaving her mouth, as she landed on Ash's lap, her legs hanging off one side while the rest of her body rested against his chest and shoulder. Tilting her head slightly, Luna found Ash staring at her, his eyes full of caringness and happiness. Her heart started beating faster for each second that she kept eye contact with Ash, a blush clear on her cheeks.

' _Ash, I…'_

As he stared into her eyes, Ash admired the golden color of her eyes for the first time. While he had known that they were golden, he had never paid that much attention to that. What he saw in Luna's eyes was incredible. Kindness was something he possessed and had encountered over his journey, but the kindness the dragoness radiated from her eyes was amazing. Hearing her speak, Ash felt his heartbeat increase as he leaned closer. He probably should have thought through this more, seeing how he didn't know how comfortable Luna was in her current position. Too late now to worry about that now.

"I love you, Luna." With the words out in the air, Ash stopped for a split second as emotions that weren't his own came over him, overlapping with his own. Not hesitating any longer, Ash crashed his lips against Luna's, taking a completely different route from the previous kisses they shared. They had been soft and slow, still full of emotions. As he felt her lips against his, he slowly prodded her lips with his tongue until she opened up. Entering her mouth, Ash looked for her tongue until he found it. A dance began between them, their emotions overlapping completely as they did. They had no care in the world at moment, nothing else but the kiss that they shared mattering. Everything was meant to come to an end, and their kiss was no exception. Being a living being had its disadvantage as in just that moment they were forced to separate for air, both taking a deep breath as they stared into each other's eyes.

' _I love you too, Ash.'_ Luna's words made Ash's heart soar as he smiled lovingly at her as his hands kept her steady on his lap. To his shock, Luna moved in his lap, rubbing against his crotch.

"Eh?" He didn't know what to say in response, somewhat flabbergasted at what she had done, his girlfriend giggling. Calling her his girlfriend, and reminding her, was something he would need to do more often.

' _I'm not_ that _innocent, you know,'_ Luna said, pushing her head upwards again to give Ash a quick peck on the lips. _'We're both grown-ups, Ash. I'm not little girl anymore and neither are you the little boy you were back then. Though I'm sure neither of us are ready to take that step yet.'_

"I wouldn't want to take it either yet. We still got a lot of things to explore, and we got time."

' _We do have a lot of time for_ such _things,'_ Luna replied, her eyes soon travelling to his wrist with a questioning look in them. _'I didn't notice you wearing a Keystone before.'_

"Haven't worn it before we returned from the League," Ash explained, "I have had it since before I came to Alto Mare though. But, I haven't decided yet who I would want to Mega Evolve."

The last part was a lie. Ash had since long already decided on who he wanted to Mega Evolve in his battles. He only needed to fix the Mega Stone so the one he had in mind could wear it. There were no plans of telling Luna that she was the one he had in mind just yet.

' _Alright.'_ Luna accepted his explanation, resting her head on his shoulder. She could stay like this for quite some time if she had to decide.

"Since you're being inquisitive, it's my turn now," Ash chuckled as Luna's expression turned a little bit sour. "I do my know my emotions well enough to be able to differ between my own and someone's else. Did you manage to somehow make us be able to feel each other's emotions?"

A full-fledged blush appeared on the dragoness' cheeks as she avoided eye contact as long as she possibly could.

"I should have known. That leaves the question of why though."

' _It just felt right to have us be aware of the other's emotions, since we are so close now.'_ She explained, finally looking into Ash's eyes.

"And I'm thankful that you did that. What I felt in that moment was beyond my wildest imagination."

Feeling Luna's happiness at his words, Ash gave her a kiss on her forehead, holding her close to him as they simply sat in silence and enjoyed the moment.

"Would you still be willing to share a bed with me?"

' _You're certainly being very forward now.'_ Luna pointed out, pink tinting her cheeks at his somewhat bold question.

"I'm taking that as a no then." Ash was probably pushing it a bit, but he wanted to see how she would respond.

' _No!'_ It didn't even take a second for Luna to stop his conclusion. _'I would like that very much.'_

'I'm not sure I want to hear more of that conversation,' Reshiram rudely interrupted them, both flinching at her voice. 'Had I known you were in your own world I maybe wouldn't have done that. Though I suppose you would have preferred someone else finding you in your current position.'

Neither of them did find that though very appealing. Reshiram's interruption was much more preferable in that case.

"Maybe I shouldn't let you out of your pokeball later today, as payback you know."

'You wouldn't dare!' The far older dragon exclaimed, about to argue with her chosen Hero.

"No, I wouldn't," The trainer had no plans of going through with his threat. "And you know that I wouldn't do that to you."

'You're right. Someone as sweet as you would never do something like that to his Pokemon,' Reshiram admitted, preparing herself for what she would say next. 'Though I'm sure there's some less than sweet things you would want to do to your lover over there.'

Ash froze at Reshiram's words. Why deny them in any way when they were true? While looks weren't something he valued over personality, good looks were a plus. And Luna had good looks. Sometimes as he looked at her, he had thoughts he really shouldn't have. Like kissing her neck and marking her or nibbling at her ear. Anything further than that was something he wouldn't do without Luna's consent, but the want was still there and that her body wasn't lacking didn't help in any way to quell the urge either. Noticing the way Luna was staring at him, Ash shook his head in order to clear his thoughts and hoped they wouldn't stray in that direction again.

'Better watch out, Luna. Looks like I hit the nail on the head,' Reshiram said, laughing at the same time. 'Wouldn't want him to do anything inappropriate, right?'

Thankfully a well-timed interruption saved them from more teasing.

"Ash, Luna! Dinner's ready!" Bianca called, to their relief not coming out to fetch them. Taking that as her sign to leave, Reshiram's presence disappeared.

"Let's go then!" Ash spoke, taking quick strides towards his girlfriend as he placed one hand on her back, Luna not suspecting anything, before quickly his other below her knees and picked her up.

' _Ash!'_ Ignoring his girlfriend's small outburst, he entered the house while she was lightly hitting his chest the entire way.

"Am I not allowed to carry my girlfriend?" Ash wondered, putting her down outside of anyone's view.

' _I suppose you're allowed to that, but warn me next time you want to do that.'_ Luna said, composing herself and making sure she looked presentable before she entered the kitchen with Ash in tow.

* * *

He would never be able to get over how good his mother's cooking was. Nothing on the road could even come close to comparing to it. Opening the front door, Ash walked outside to see the sun set. Since remembering to fix the Latiasite in his possession so it could be used, he had excused himself after dinner while coming up with a reason why Luna couldn't come along. Bianca was a huge help there as she managed to distract Luna from what he wanted to do, helping him without even knowing. It had been a long time since he had been in some of these parts of Pallet he would go to, but he still knew them like the back of his hand. Taking it slow, not having specified on how long he would need for his walk, Ash perked up at Pikachu's voice coming from his shoulder.

"Pikapi?" Her interest was piqued, not knowing exactly what they were doing. A walk, while not the most common, was nothing unusual for Ash. They helped clearing the mind and worked wonders prior to a battle.

"I'm trying to find the jeweler so Luna can wear the Mega Stone I got from Steven," Ash explained. "Though I have no idea what Luna would want to wear. Maybe a ring? Or would that seem too much like a proposal?"

"Chupi pi."

"A necklace then or something more practical? Asking Bianca, since she knows Luna so well, or May might have been a good idea. Even Mom would have come up with something. I really should have thought through this better."

'I wish I could help you, little one~" Reshiram added in an apologetic tone.

"Not blaming you. If anyone should be blamed, it's me." He replied, turning his head while speaking. "Did that jeweler move or what?"

"Hey, Ashy-boy!" Pinpointing where the voice came from, Ash found his former rival approaching him, coming from a completely different direction than he had. "Didn't expect to find you here of all places. Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Ash replied, mindlessly scratching Pikachu's head, earning coos of approval. If he would go back to their time travelling Kanto, insults would be already be flying between them. "Would you happen to know where the jeweler is?"

"The jeweler?" Gary's surprise was justified, since it a somewhat odd place for Ash to want to go. "What would you want there?"

Putting his hand in his pocket, Ash enclosed the small stone that was lying there with his hand and pulled it out. Holding his hand in front of Gary, he opened it, revealing the Latiasite resting there.

"I'm looking for the jeweler so this can be made usable." Ash told his friend, putting the stone back in his pocket as they walked to the jeweler.

"Haven't seen that kind of Mega Stone yet and I have seen quite a few," Gary stated, looking straight ahead. "Tell me, what Mega Stone is it?"

"A Latiasite."

"Where on earth would you find such a rare stone?"

"Never said that I was the one who found it," Correcting his friend, Ash chuckled at the dawn of understanding on Gary's face. "Looks like we are here."

Entering the small but cozy shop that was Pallet's jeweler, Ash took his time to take everything in. There was quite a large amount of jewelry laid out for the customers to see. As they had entered a bell had chimed, hanging above the door, alerting the shopkeeper of their presence. A middle-aged man appeared from a room behind the counter, flashing them a smile as he watched them take a look.

"Would you happen to be in need of help?" The shopkeeper asked kindly, resting his hands on the counter. Approaching the counter, with Gary waiting at the door, Ash thought of the best way to say what he wanted.

"I would like to find a piece of jewelry that would work well with this," Ash said, placing the Latiasite on the counter. "The Pokemon the stone is meant for means very much to me, so I thought this would be the place to look for something for her."

"I see," The shopkeeper responded, a hand holding his chin as he thought. "Can you tell me anything else?"

"Nothing that would really help, I think, Actually, something that can't fall off easily would be nice, since she flies a lot." He should have probably have tried to get something out of Latias on what she liked, without directly telling her what he had in mind. "No ring though."

"An interesting request, but I'll see what we got that would suit your needs," Having pointed that out, the shopkeeper left the counter, motioning Ash to follow him. "Something practical while at the same time something special. I would have suggested a ring, since it's easy to wear and appeals to many. A necklace wouldn't work very well, since it either hangs loose and moves too much or you gotta tighten it to the point where it can become unpleasant to wear. Earrings are something that could work, if you so choose."

Listening to the detailed explanation given to him, Ash nodded along. Perking up at the mention of earrings, Ash glanced at the stone in his hand. Imagining how an earring with the Latiasite would look, he came to the same conclusion as the shopkeeper.

"Earrings it will be. Do you have a stone that could match the Latiasite?"

"I actually do. While it's my own, I will make an exception and put it to use. I can see how much this means to you, and who am I to deny something that means so much to you?"

Getting behind the counter again, with the Latiasite and a pair of earrings, the shop went quiet as the shopkeeper worked on the earrings. Ash couldn't believe his luck.

"Earrings huh?" Gary stated, walking up to his friend. "I'm certain you're just not getting them you can use the Mega Stone. Don't screw this up, Ash."

About to say something more, the shopkeeper's voice stopped Gary.

"Here you go, young man." The shopkeeper said, handing him the pair of earrings, the pair placed in a dark red box, the inside covered by velvet. In one of them sat the Latiasite, while in the other one sat a stone that looked quite similar to his Mega Stone. Handing over his pokedex in order to pay, Ash barely paid attention as the man mentioned the price. The price was negligible in this case. Glancing at his watch, Ash's eyes widened a bit as he noticed that it had gotten quite late. He had needed far longer than he had expected. Thanking the shopkeeper, the two friends left the shop. Walking in silence, it didn't take long before they stared talking about the upcoming battle Ash would have, with Gary trying to learn some of Ash's strategies, the attempt to do so failing. As they reached the crossroad where they had to split, Ash clasped Gary's hand.

"Good luck tomorrow, Ashy-boy." Gary said, letting go and walking in the direction of his home, waving without even glancing backwards. Slowly approaching his home, Pikachu nearly chattering the entire time since she had been quiet since Gary had appeared, Ash had to blink a few times as he spotted a petite frame standing out the house, hands behind her back.

"Luna, what are you doing outside? Have you been waiting for me?" Ash felt a little guilty that she even considered waiting for him, since she had no idea how long he would be gone. He could see how she was shivering and her skin was cold to the touch. Guiding her to the door, he kept one arm around her shoulders as Pikachu moved to her left shoulder, rubbing her head against Luna's. Standing in the doorway, he only heard two voices talking in a quite voice, those being his mother and Brock. That meant that the girls had already gone to bed and that Sabrina had went back to Saffron. Poking his head inside the kitchen, while rubbing Luna's arm, he got their attention.

"I'm back," He greeted them with a smile, both smiling back at him. "Me and Luna are also going to bed.

"You better do that. We wouldn't want you to be tired for tomorrow." His mother chided him slightly, shooing them away. As they reached the stairs, Ash leaned closer to Luna.

"So are you ready to share a bed?" Ash teased his girlfriend, taking a deep breath before he nibbled lightly at her ear. Gasping in response, both felt Reshiram's presence.

'You're allowed to tease her like that, but when I'm teasing the two of you it's not okay?'

"The different is that I'm not teasing my _girlfriend_. I was fully serious when I asked her," Ash reasoned. "Especially if she would be willing to sleep in her dragon form."

Luna's blush was absolutely adorable in Ash's mind as he guided her up the stairs to his room, his thoughts straying and going in the wrong direction.

'I'm not accepting where your thoughts are going~' Reshiram jested, making Ash smirking.

"You're not getting out of that ball today."

'Hey, no fair!'

* * *

 **I think I might have tried to fit too much in this chapter, and if I did, I apologize. I wanted to have the fluff in the chapter, while also setting up the sequel with the rest (Froakie, mentioning Ash-Greninja and fixing the Latiasite). If Froakie's portrayal comes across as weird, let me know and I will fix it. I also upped the rating, as you might have noticed, to M. Next chapter will conclude the battles against the E4 and following that we got a two parter to finish off Ash's battle against Lance. Might throw in an epilogue for some better closure. Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, look! It's another chapter! Spent the entire week writing this one. I'm getting slightly sick of battles though. Thankfully the next one, even though it will be long, is the last one for quite some time. Depending on how I decide, the story will end with the two-parter or I will write an epilogue to shorten the two previous chapters a bit. Also, I surpassed a 100 favorites a few days ago! Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited and reviewed! Anyways, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

 _"It's interesting really, we've been to so many regions and yet you have never faced a dark-type Master. I'm looking forward to see what Karen has planned, and more_ _importantly what you have in mind." Brock said, sipping at his coffe and sitting on the porch, while enjoying the morning air. With Karen requesting them to come quite late compared to the others, there was no stress involved._

 _"Well, I don't have anything planned really, besides what I usually do. Once the battle is underway I might have a better idea on what I want to do." Ash admitted, taking a sip of his own coffee. Talking with Brock like this brought back memories from the time they spent travelling together. Turning his attention to the battle he would have, Ash had already decided on who he wanted to use. While he didn't know what Karen's Pokemon were, he had enough experience with dark-types to have an idea about what to expect._

 _"Makes sense," Brock noted, glancing at his friend. "I heard from Gary that you went to the jeweler yesterday."_

 _"You heard that?" Chuckling, Ash looked up at the sky, contemplating on what to say. "Who's saying that Gary's telling the truth?"_

 _"No one would come up with you going to a jeweler," Brock reasoned, seeing his friend accept his reasoning. "So you finally fixed that Latiasite, huh? What did you do with it?"_

" _I got a pair of earrings, one of them holding the Latiasite." Ash told his friend, pulling them out of his pocket where he had been keeping them since he bought them. He hadn't planned on giving them to Luna just yet. The prospect though of seeing her entire face light up made waiting hard. As they had been laying awake in the same bed together, he had asked if Luna could have them be aware of each other's emotions the entire time. It felt incredible the one time Luna did, and he wanted to feel like that again._

 _"Go," Brock suddenly said, nodding towards the door. "While there's no rush, give her the earrings now. I'm sure she'll appreciate them, and any time you get to spend together."_

 _"Thanks, Brock." Ash stood up, entering the house in order to find Luna._

* * *

"Already dreaming about being the Champion?!" Karen shouted across the battlefield, souding somewhat annoyed that he wasn't focusing. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Ash put all of his attention on the now, instead of what had happened earlier in the day.

"This will be a 3 vs 3 between Ash Ketchum and Elite Four Karen! The rules are unchanged! Send out your Pokemon!"

" _Hmpf_ , I'll show you what a member of the Elite Four can do. Where my three colleagues faltered, I won't. Umbreon, let's go!" Ash thought Gary was overly confident, but Karen was on a completely different level. She didn't only sound confident, her whole demeanor reeked of confidence. Her stance, her words and even her Pokemon. Everything was pure confidence. This might be the hardest of his four battles, not just because Karen was the last Elite. Looking down at his starter, Ash knew what he had to do.

"Pikachu, take the lead!" Pikachu ran as fast as her short legs allowed, taking her place in front of her trainer. The referee wasted no time.

"Begin!"

Ash took a second to think. Umbreon had nothing close to the offensive capabilities of his Pokemon, instead relying on its ability to take hits and indirectly hinder him.

"Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, going first in an attempt to edge out a small lead.

"Protect." Karen didn't even look like she had an ounce of worry as Pikachu's Thunderbolt approached. Umbreon surrounded itself in a blue dome as the Thunderbolt crashed into it harmlessly.

"Quick Attack!" Getting closer would somewhat counteract Protect, since Umbreon wouldn't be able to react as quickly when there was barely any distance between itself and Pikachu.

"Toxic!" Not longer simply defending, Karen turned the table on Ash and Pikachu as she ordered a counter attack. Spewing out the poisonous substance right as Pikachu would hit it, the electric rodent didn't get any further as the impact hurt her quite a bit.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out in worry. He knew that the poison hadn't done anything yet, or barely anything, but over time the poison would grow stronger and stronger. Whittling his Pokemon down and staying defensive seemed to be Karen's plan, at least with Umbreon.

"Dark Pulse!" Karen used the lapse in their focus, Ash's worry and Pikachu getting hit by the poison, to strike.

"Countershield!" What he had tried to use to his advantage was now working against him, as Pikachu would very likely be unable to dodge Umbreon's Dark Pulse. Jumping on her back, Pikachu spun around while releasing electricity, nullifying the incoming projectile.

"Sucker Punch!" Karen called, surprising Ash. He hadn't thought about the fact that even though he wasn't attacking, Pikachu was using Thunderbolt which meant Sucker Punch would strike first no matter what. What a simple mistake he had made.

"Iron Tail, let's go!" Pikachu took the attack in stride, wincing slightly and instantly swung her metal coated tail at the defenseless Umbreon. Striking hard, Pikachu flung Umbreon across the field, not waiting for Ash's next order before already dashing after her opponent.

"Dark Pulse again!" Ash hadn't figured out Karen's plan yet, though he would do so eventually. Umbreon was Karen's ace and usually trainers kept their ace until the end. If Umbreon had other moves that only were there to hinder him, like Toxic, he had a grasp on what Karen wanted to do. He couldn't let Umbreon battle any of his other Pokemon, unless he wanted to risk getting them poisoned or anything similar.

"Dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash responded, his eyes narrowing as he noticed Pikachu wince before she did as told. Hadn't be been looking for something he most likely would not have noticed. The poison was quickly growing in strength. While he could switch Pikachu out, he would hurt his chances of winning more than doing himself a favor. No. He would keep Pikachu in as long as possible, and hopefully knock out Umbreon, in order to set the match up for his two remaining Pokemon.

"Sucker Punch!" He scowled as Umbreon's left leg glowed and it struck Pikachu. All of Pikachu's moves were attacking moves and even if he didn't have Pikachu attack with them, Umbreon's Sucker Punch would still get a hit in on her. He would have meet Karen blow for blow it seemed.

"Electro Ball, then Quick Attack!" Ash simply needed to have Pikachu get in as many attacks as possible prior to a possible Sucker Punch. If Umbreon couldn't recover from the first attack there was no chance of Sucker Punch being used. Swinging her tail in an arc, the orb of electricity was sent flying at Umbreon, who dodged it by juping backwards. That left it wide open for Pikachu, who only left behind a white trail, to strike, hurling it towards its trainer.

"Don't let up, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Umbreons weren't by any means slow, though when compared to Pikachu that changed. Pikachu's speed was proven as she unleashed her electricity into a bolt, it shooting forwards at a very high speed.

"Get up and use Protect!" Recovering much faster than he had expected, Umbreon repeated what it had done earlier and simply let the bolt strike against the blue dome surrounding it.

"Thunder!" Ash saw the opening and struck. Protect stopped attacks, yes, but putting up the shield and holding it against stronger attacks was straining on most Pokemon. Umbreon was no exception as it only got time to look upwards as Pikachu had shot a large bolt above the Eeveelution. It cried out in pain as an even larger bolt hit it head on.

"Get as close as possible and use Confuse Ray!" Karen ordered, confirming Ash's suspicions. Umbreon, while Karen's ace, was also he rlead Pokemon. With moves like Toxic, Confuse Ray and Protect it had enough ways of weakening and stalling the opposition.

"Don't let that attack hit you!" Ash warned his starter, fully aware that she also knew what that attack could do to her if it hit. Seeing it come closer and closer, he waited, nodding as Pikachu glanced at him. "Slide under it and then use Electro Ball!"

"Counter it with Dark Pulse!"

The two attacks collided mid-air, exploding upon impact as they obscured both trainer's sight.

"Thunderbolt, straight ahead!" He wasn't completely sure, but Ash hoped that his guess were Umbreon was wasn't completely off.

"Umbreon!" The dark-type cried out, making it clear that Ash had guessed correctly.

"Power-up Electro Ball with Iron Tail!" Ash pumped his fist as Pikachu started to sprint so she could get high enough. Her tail reflected some of the light as the small orb was growing rapidly. "Now!"

Karen had crossed her arms she watched, knowing that letting the attack hit was better than trying to avoid it. She just needed to wait for the right moment. Closing her eyes, she waited for the inevitable cry of pain that would from Umbreon as she didn't order a Protect. No, she would lure Ash into her trap and then finish off Pikachu.

"Let's finish this! Charge yourself up with Thunder!" Ash had one shot. After that the poison would be too severe for him to let Pikachu continue. If he got Pikachu out off battle fast enough, the poison would become harmless as it slowly would disappear from Pikachu's blood.

"Brace yourself, Umbreon." Karen spoke, carefully watching Ash and Pikachu.

"Volt Tackle!" Ash had intentions of dragging out the battle between his starter and Umbreon any longer, Pikachu would go out with a bang. With the excess electricity, Pikachu's Volt Tackle grew immensely more powerful as she started to chant while running as fast as she could towards Umbreon.

"Prot-" Karen didn't even need to tell Umbreon what to do, as it instinctively raised the protective dome around itself. What shocked Karen though was the leap Pikachu made to reach Umbreon, crashing into what she thought would protect her Pokemon, the shield barely putting up any resistance at all as it broke, leaving Umbreon vulnerable. Striking hard, Umbreon didn't stand a chance as it was sent sliding over the ground by the force behind the attack. There was no doubt about the result.

"Umbreon is unable to battle!" The referee declared, raising a flag in Karen's direction.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash cheered, trying to pinpoint his starter. Pikachu was lying on the ground, not moving. "Pikachu?"

"Pikachu is unable to battle!" The referee added, this time raising a flag in Ash's direction. Running across the battlefield without hesitation, Ash scooped Pikachu up in his arms as he watched her for any sign of movement. The poison must have knocked her out. Taking her back to his side, he carefully put her down, smiling at his knocked out starter.

"Take a good rest," Ash whispered to his starter, standing up and staring at Karen. "Looks like we're all tied up."

"That seems to be the case, but not for long!" Karen was confidence incarnate as she picked her next Pokemon. "Honchkrow, avenge Umbreon!"

If Pikachu would still be around this would have been a breeze. She wasn't, so Ash needed to find another way. He could use Glalie, though he wanted to keep Glalie as somewhat of a surprise for Lance, should he make it. Donphan wouldn't stand much of a chance against the flying-type, since most of his attacks wouldn't be able to hit and his mobility on ground wouldn't do anything against an aerial target. Primeape was in a similar spot, leaving him with Charizard and Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot, let's show them how it's done!" There was a reason he had brought along Pidgeot over any of the other flying-types he had. Pidgeot was one of his strongest and most experienced Pokemon, and very few of his Pokemon could match her strength. The referee simply nodded and raised his flags as both Pokemon were ready and their trainers had signalled they were ready as well.

"Thunder Wave!" The move wasn't what Ash had expected from Karen and her Honchkrow, but he wouldn't let that faze him.

"Double Team!" Ash threw his fist in a backward motion to the side, as Honchkrow's Thunder Wave went straight through the double left behind by Pidgeot. Now surrounded by over a dozen of Pidgeots, Honchkrow tried to spot the real one as quickly as it could.

"If they're not taking it to us, we're taking it to them! Thunder Wave on all of them!"

"Heat Wave!" Ash countered, all of the Pidgeot's preparing the attack, opening their beaks as they unleashed the attack.

"Drop to the ground!" It was too sudden for Ash to react, as Honchkrow simply fell, avoiding the attack which instead went straight through one of the many Pidgeots. "Drill Peck!"

"Blow Honchkrow away with Gust!" Pidgeot far surpassed Honchkrow in size, flapping her wings at an increasing speed as she slowly forced the other bird away from her. "Quick Attack!"

Shooting forwards, a white trail behind her, Pidgeot struck hard as she connected with Honchkrow, sending it tumbling through the air.

"Get a hold on yourself!" Karen shouted to her Pokemon, watching worriedly as it tried to right itself in the air. "Roost!"

Ash couldn't let Honchkrow recover and have his and Pidgeot's work go to waste.

"Strike with Heat Wave while it can't act!" Ash ordered, Pidgeot rapidly charging up the attack, firing as soon as it was ready. Ash hadn't accounted for Honchkrow's speedy recovery though as the bird effortlessly dodged Pidgeot's Heat Wave a second time. Growling in annoyance, his focus wavered.

"Brave Bird!" Karen's voice cut right through him as Honchkrow entire burst up in flames before the flames turned into a blue aura, Honchkrow crashed into Pidgeot, the larger bird's eyes bulging as the impact sent her hurling to the ground.

"Quick Attack!" Ash clenched his fist as he gave the order through gritted teeth. Pikachu had fainted because he didn't call her back once he noticed the poison starting to kick in. Pidgeot could have easily taken Pikachu's place, the bird would have had an easier time avoiding Umbreon's attack. But he didn't, and it was costing him now.

'Ash, focus!' Reshiram called out to him, trying to act as a calming presence. 'You can't let emotions cloud your judgement!'

Once again Pidgeot got hit, Ash wincing as he saw her recover a lot slower than he knew she could.

' _Come on, Ash! You can do it!'_ Ash's head spun around in direction of the stands at Luna's voice. He had never thought a smile could have such a calming effect on him, but it did.

* * *

 _"There you are!" Ash said as he finally found Luna, lying on his bed in her dragon form. "I've been looking for you."_

'You have?' _Luna asked, glancing at him._ 'Shouldn't you be preparing for your battle?'

 _"I should," Ash admitted, chuckling at Luna's admonishing expression. "I have something more important to do though."_

 _Pulling out the earrings, the Latiasite attached, he kept them hidden from sight as Luna was watching him. Dropping one into his other hand, he held them out for her to see. A gasp escaped her as she saw what he had been hiding and what he had needed to do. Her small paws pushed her off the bed as she slowly floated closer to him, inspecting the earrings he was holding in front of her._

'For me?' _Ash found it adorable how she even thought they could be for someone else._

 _"_ _I think it would be better if you would transform. I'm no expert on Pokemon anatomy, and do I know that you were wearing earrings during the dinner in Alto Mare." Ash hadn't spotted the holes he knew she had in her human form. He really hoped they would carry over when she changed back. Smiling as she had changed, Ash carefully got the earrings in place, a small yelp from Luna warning him about his minor failure to get them properly in place on his first try. Eventually suceeding, Ash took a step back. They looked fantastic on her, in his opinion, the Latiasite reflecting the sunlight coming through the window._

'How do I look?' _Luna twirled around, shyly looking at Ash._

 _"You look great." He wondered if he should say anything about the Latiasite or if he should surprise her with it later._

'A Latiasite though? Where did you get one?' _The dragonness inquired, trying to get the stone in her view._

 _"From a friend," Ash explained, thinking back to how he had gotten his keystone together with the bracelet_ and _the Latiasite Luna was wearing now. "Do you like it?"_

'I love it!' _Luna declared, smiling happily at Ash._ 'When will I be using it?'

 _When would she be using it? Ash had no idea really. Whenever both of them felt ready to use it he supposed. "We'll see."_

'Thank you again!' _Luna said, transforming back to her dragon form. The earrings still sat perfectly. Slowly moving closer to Ash, she looked straight into his eyes._ 'Since you got something for me, I gotta give you something in return.'

 _Not arguing, Ash wondered what his girlfriend had in mind. Seeing her slowly lean closer to him, Ash grabbed her head and pulled her into a kiss. They had kissed before, but it couldn't compare to this in Ash's opinion. Kissing Latias in her true form was simply a different experience._

* * *

Remembering that he still was in the middle of a battle, Ash knew had to help out Pidgeot.

"Recover and then use Hurricane!" His frustration with himself was still there. Now though he accepted his mistakes and continued. There was no time for him to be frustrated with himself, especially not when _his_ Pokemon were getting hurt because of it. As the winds started picking up, Ash grinned at Karen's worried expression. Any Pokemon really, with few exceptions, caught in Pidgeot's Hurricane were in trouble. The smaller bird tried its hardest to escape the Hurricane that was growing in strength, its struggle futile against the ever growing force behind the wind.

"Honchkrow!"

"Pidgeot, pin it down with Heat Wave!" Third time's the charm they said. Ash hoped that also applied to Pidgeot's third Heat Wave. The fiery attack hit hard, Honchkrow being surprisingly quiet as its feathers got burned.

"Thunder Wave!" Karen called out, this time hitting the mark. Paralysis was a nuisance, since there always was uncertain if a paralysed Pokemon would be able to act in time, since it slowed down Pokemon and sometimes even stopped them from acting completely.

"If that's so, Hyper Beam!" Betting on that Pidgeot would still be fast enough, Ash called out her finishing move. "Get close with Quick Attack!"

All the while preparing her final attack, Pidgeot shot forwards, honing in on Honchkrow. It became a game of cat and mouse as Pidgeot tried to corner Honchkrow, limiting its options of dodging her Hyper Beam. Honchkrow soon found itself outmatched, as Pidgeot caught up to it, even with Pidgeot paralysed, hurling into it which sent Honchkrow tumbling.

"Fire!" Ash didn't need to say more as Pidgeot unleashed her strongest attack upon Honchkrow, the orange beam relentlessly hitting Honchkrow, slamming the opposing Pokemon into the ground. Stopping not too longer after she hit, Pidgeot knew that it was over. Twitching slightly, sparks danced across her body. The paralysis was showing, but Ash had a simple solution to that in mind.

"Honchkrow is unable to battle!" The referee declared as the dust settled, Karen already recalling her fallen Honchkrow.

"I admit that I underestimated you. Do not think though that this is anywhere near over!" Karen's words rang across the field. She was right. This battle wasn't anywhere near being over. Pikachu was out cold, Pidgeot wasn't in top shape anymore _and_ was paralysed and he didn't know what her last Pokemon would be.

"I never thought that! You got me all fired up, so no more waiting!" Ash shouted back, grinning the entire time. He had made mistakes, yes. But, he would learn from them and accept his shortcomings. He wouldn't fail his Pokemon like that again.

"No more waiting? Alright, fine with me! Houndoom!" Karen's last pokeball burst open, revealing the dark and fire-type native to Johto. Karen's Pokemon each had a clear role. Umbreon weakened any Pokemon first with attacks like Toxic. Honchkrow had Thunder Wave for the same reason, but instead was in every way a more offensive Pokemon. Houndoom finished off the stragglers, relying more on power than the previous two. It was a simple, but well planned strategy. He had no plans of letting Pidgeot go down though.

"Pidgeot, Double Team into Quick Attack!" Ash ordered, Pidgeot quickly summoning copies of herself before with a single flap of her wings pushing herself forwards, tucking them to her body as she didn't need them anymore.

"Nasty Plot before you get hit!" Karen took a risk at that moment. Pidgeot was powerful, so a single attack could already weaken Houndoom quite a bit, if it hit. Focusing, Houndoom increased its strength. "Hit as many as possible with Flamethrower!"

Gathering the flames in its mouth, Houndoom opened it, revealing the jaws it had, as it tried to find the real Pidgeot. The amount of Pidgeots soon dwindled down, leaving only one left, right in front of Houndoom.

"U-Turn!" Ash called out, watching as Pidgeot struck Houndoom before making a turn and starting to glow white. Holding up her pokeball, Ash waited until she was inside, putting her on his belt once she was. Time to switch. "Primeape!"

Throwing Primeape's pokeball, he saw Karen's annoyance. Pidgeot was weakened and now she had to face a Pokemon that was far from a pushover.

"Mega Kick, let's go!" Ash didn't give Karem and her Houndoom anymore breathing room. Primeape eagerly did as told, his right leg glowing white as he sprinted towards the dark-type. Jumping into the air, Primeape prepared to land his attack on Houndoom.

"Counter with Fire Blast!" Houndoom unleashed the attack much faster than Ash had expected, his eyes widening at the fact. If that attack hit, Primeape was in trouble. One of the strongest fire-type attacks together with Nasty Plot was nothing to scoff at.

"Dodge it!" Quickly changing approach, Primeape only needed to side step in order to avoid the attack.

"As expected! Will-O-Wisp!" Karen called out, a glint in her eyes as he did. He had done what she wanted him to do. Fire Blast was not the most accurate move, since it was quite hard to control at times for even the strongest of Pokemon. Getting hit by it was still no option, which forced him into a bad spot. With no time to react, Primeape was unable to dodge a second time as he got burnt by Houndoom's Will-O-Wisp. The damage wasn't the biggest problem, even though it was a nuisance, since Primeape was durable enough. No, the problem lied within the fact that the burn weakened Primeape's offensive potential. Did Primeape still pack a punch? Yes. Was it as potent as before? No. In the end it changed nothing about his approach to the battle, it only slowed him and Primeape down.

"Mega Kick again!" Primeape's move were still for the most part effective against Houndoom, somewhat counteracting the burn that had been inflicted on him. Landing a solid kick on the dark-type, Primeape started to jump on the spot in order to be ready to move the moment it was needed.

"Flamethrower!" With virtually no distance between Houndoom and Primeape, Karen took her chance.

"Prime." The monkey grunted, managing to stand as it removed its fists and shifted back to a more offensive stance. Houndoom's power was formidable, and with Nasty Plot used it was even stronger. Ash knew he had to be more careful, especially since Primeape's burn would be weakening him the longer the battle went.

"Seismic Toss!" Ash shouted, Primeape quickly closing the gap between himself and Houndoom, throwing one arm around Houndoom's neck while the other grabbed its two hind legs. "Jump!"

With that, Primeape left the ground as he made a flip in the air before he threw Houndoom with everything he had into the ground.

"Houndoom, Fire Blast!"

"Shit!" Ash cursed as Primeape was hit by Houndoom's Fire Blast, hurling him towards his side of the field. That one had to hurt. "Use Close Combat!"

Retalliation was instant, as Primeape dashed across the field, looking less than pleased if the vein on his forehead was any indicator.

"Don't let that hit you!" Karen called out, Houndoom barely avoiding the first, the inevitable pummeling from Primeape still coming. Eventually stopping, Primeape didn't create a lot of distance as he detached himself from Houndoom, always ready to go at it again.

"Mega Kick!"

"Dark Pulse!" Ash kept underestimating Houndoom's speed at firing off its attacks, silently watching Primeape get hit. For a not so effective attack it definitely packed a punch. Pushing through, Primeape delivered a roundhouse kick to Houndoom's head.

"Don't stop there, Ice Punch!" While Ice Punch wouldn't hurt Houndoom a lot, there was still a chance that wherever Primeape would strike Houndoom would freeze. Any advantage was welcome. To Ash's chagrin, nothing froze.

"Go for another Nasty Plot!" Karen ordered, having her Houndoom increase its power even further. Ash started to get worried. One more Fire Blast might be the end for Primeape. But, Houndoom wasn't in top condition anymore either, especially not after that Close Combat from Primeape. He was going to take a calculated risk and hope that it worked in his favor.

"Primeape, Final Gambit!" His Pokemon grunted as his right fist turned black. If it would work, Ash had beaten the entirety of the Elite Four. If not, Pidgeot would have to finish the job.

"No! Houndoom, _do not let that hit you_!" The urgency in Karen's voice was clear, Houndoom shooting her a quick glance as it quickly focused on not gettig hit by Primeape's black fist. The attacks it used weren't even used in any meaningful way, besides trying to keep Primeape at bay. Ash saw an opening left by the dark-type.

"Now!" Ash shouted, as Primeape swung his fist at Houndoom's flank, his opponent crying out in pain as he fainted simultaneously. Had he actually done it? Had he beaten Karen?

As everything became visible, Ash's eyes widened. Houndoom was down!

"Houndoom is unable to battle," Ash felt elated, his smile growing bigger and bigger. "The winner is Ash Ketchum!"

"YES!" Ash nearly screamed, picking up the the now conscious Pikachu. Hugging her tightly to his chest, Ash sprinted up to Primeape, including him in the hug. Four grueling battles against the Elite Four of Kanto and Johto, but he still pulled through. Turning to his friends, who seemingly didn't care about anything else either currently, he saw Brock jump over the wall separating them, the biggest grin he had ever seen on the face of his friend. May followed him, with Bianca and Luna walking through the door made for them, while Sabrina was a lot calmer. Letting go of his two Pokemon, Ash didn't hesitate as he threw his arms around Brock and May. His laughter soon intertwined with their's as he was only feeling joyful glee.

"You did it!" May happily cheered, wearing a smile nearly rivaling Ash's. Eventually stopping, Bianca gave him a quick hug, while Sabrina simply stood there with her arms hanging at her side. Taking matters in his own hands, Ash pulled her into a hug, the psychic going stiff as he hugged her. It didn't take long until she accepted the fact that Ash was hugging her as she hugged him lightly back. Letting go, he turned to the only one left.

"Come here!" No hesitation was what Ash had as he grabbed Luna by the waist and pushed his lips against her's. He felt on like he was on cloud nine as he kissed his girlfriend, gasps coming from Bianca and May.

"I think that's enough, Champ in the making," Karen interrupted, having crossed the battlefield, smiling at them. "I expected no less from someone who took down Will, Koga and Bruno. But you're not done yet, Ash."

"She's right." Lance's voice added, the other members of the Elite Four standing behind him.

"Now that I've beaten the Elite Four I can battle you for the title of Champion." Ash stated, knowing what was waiting ahead for him. This might be possibly be the tallest mountain Ash would have to climb in his entire life.

"Yes, but not today. Tomorrow, at 10 am we will meet where this year's League was held and we will battle it out for the title of Champion in front of a live audience."

"What?" Ash wasn't prepared for that. Battling Lance in front of people from both regions, who were watching who would become their next Champion?

"A battle of this calliber deserves nothing less," Lance explained. "The stadium isn't far from here, and if you don't find it just ask someone. Remember, 10 am."

With that Lance left, the members of the Elite Four following.

"So, what now?" Ash asked, scratching his head. They had celebrated yesterday, plus they would celebrate again should he beat Lance.

"We'll help you train," Brock said, gesturing to May as he said that. "Anything would probably help before tomorrow."

"I will help," Sabrina suddenly spoke. "You know that Lance is a powerful trainer, but power isn't what will win you tomorrow's battle. It's the will to succeed that will show who's the stronger trainer."

"You will battle me?" Ash wondered, grinning at the thought.

"No," Sabrina quickly crushed Ash's hope of getting a battle against her. "I will assist you in your training, pushing your Pokemon to their limits as much as I can."

Accepting that, Ash looked at everyone present once before he took Luna's hand in a very different display of affection compared to earlier.

"Let's train then."

* * *

Training was something Ash was very familar with. Heck, the amount of training he had put himself and his Pokemon through over his entire journey was massive. But training under Sabrina's watchful eye together with his Pokemon was something different. She never participated in the battles he had, instead letting Brock and May battle him. Instead, she simply had her Alakazam use Psychic on his Pokemon until they could overpower Alakazam. All of his Pokemon had suceeded with the task, some with more difficulty than others. Once again he found himself on the porch of the house, Pikachu lying in his lap and snoozing while he had a bottle of beer at his lips. He wasn't a drinker by any means, but sometimes a beer was approriate. Like now.

"Hey Ash."

Leaning forward a bit so he could turn around, he found May watching him.

"Hey May," Ash greeted his coordinator friend cheerfully, smiling widely at her. Gesturing to the chair, he waited until she sat down. "What brings you out here?"

"Can't I simply want to talk to a friend?" May wondered, taking the chair next to him. "So, where's Luna?"

After the battle against Karen, Luna had finally told everyone about her real name, much to Bianca's joy. She wanted to be called by her real name, and nothing else anymore.

"I've no idea," Ash admitted, taking another gulp of his beer. "I suppose inside somewhere with Froakie."

Since they had gotten back, Ash had let Froakie out of his his pokeball for the rest of the day, allowing him to watch his training so he got an idea of what he would be doing later on and what he could accomplish with the right amount of training. It had worked so well that he did some battling with against Pikachu. Nothing serious of course, just some fun battling to see what he was capable off. While Froake wouldn't be beating Pikachu anytime soon, he was talented and a lot stronger than Ash had expected. Pikachu had been holding back, but most Pokemon that were unexperienced wouldn't stand a chance. Froakie did, getting in a few good hits before Pikachu ended the battle with a Thunderbolt.

"Oh yeah. She seems to be attached to him, doesn't she?" May asked, a content expression on her face.

"She does," Ash replied. Since they had met yesterday, Luna had always hovered around Froakie, even carrying him around in her arms. He would have to ask her later why she was doing that. "What are you gonna do once this is over?"

"Most likely heading home and taking it easy, since I just won the Grand Festival." May answered, looking at Ash as she spoke.

"You're going to have it easy compared to me," Ash said, scratching Pikachu behind her ear, a light 'Pika' coming from his sleepy starter. "Either I beat Lance tomorrow and become the Champion, which comes with a lot of work, or I lose and I go to Kalos. Not that I'm complaining."

"Kalos? Isn't that where Froakie comes from?" May clearly sounded interested as she asked.

"Yeah, he comes from there." Ash responded, finally emptying his bottle of beer. "I'm going to bed. Gotta be as ready as possible for tomorrow."

Picking up Pikachu, Ash carried her in his arms like Luna had been doing with Froakie.

"Don't do anything unappropriate with Luna!" Sighing at May's comment, he shook his head as he went looking for Luna. He had done that quite a bit lately, hasn't he? Neither were there any plans of doing something "inappropriate" with Luna. Well, there were plans, but for way later. Spotting his mom on the couch, reading a book, Ash called out to her.

"Hey Mom," His mother looked up from the book she was reading, smiling and giving him her full attention. "Have you seen Luna?"

"I think she was upstairs with Bianca, sweetie." She told him, shaking her head as he took off immediately.

"Thanks Mom!" Ash shouted as he stopped at the stairs. Taking two steps at a time, he soon found himself on the second floor. If Luna was with Bianca, they were most likely in the room Bianca and May shared.

' _This is incredible, Bianca!'_ Luna exclaimed. Ash chuckled at her enthusiasm about whatever they were talking about. He knew that Luna could make sure that only whoever she wanted would hear her, but he supposed there was no need for that in his house.

"Well thanks," Bianca giggled. Walking up to the door they were behind, Ash listened to their laughing for a second before he knocked on the door twice. "Come in!"

Entering the room, Ash found the two girls sitting on Bianca's bed with their legs crossed, looking at something with great interest.

"Hi." Ash hadn't noticed Froakie sitting in Luna's lap. The frog quickly left his place there, instead climbing up his shoulder and taking Pikachu's usual spot.

' _Hello.'_ Luna greeted back, while Bianca only waved at him.

"What are you two looking at?" Ash asked, unable to see what it was from his current spot. Walking closer, Bianca turned what she was holding around so he could see it. They had been looking at a drawing of him, during his battle against Karen. While he wasn't fully certain, he was pretty sure that was the moment he looked up at Luna.

"Here, take it. It was meant for you anyway." Bianca simply said as she handed him the picture. Taking it carefully, Ash smiled at his friend.

"Thanks," Ash replied, now having to hold Pikachu with one hand while holding the drawing with the other. "I actually only came to here to ask if you wanted to come to bed with me, Luna."

Okay, maybe he hadn't worded that in the best possible way.

' _Of course!'_ Luna quickly answered, standing up. _'Goodnight Bianca.'_

"Goodnight," Bianca grinned at her two friends. "I didn't know you would be so eager, Luna."

A gasp escaped Luna at her friend's comment.

"I've already heard that one before." Ash interfered, handing over Pikachu to Luna as he lead her out of the room. Going into his room, Ash recalled Froakie and had Luna put Pikachu on the end of his bed. His girlfriend quickly transformed into her dragon as she went and made herself comfortable on the bed.

' _I'm already done,'_ She informed him, closing her eyes. _'Are you coming?'_

"I gotta go to the bathroom first," Ash said, watching his girlfriend move slightly. "Dont force yourself to stay awake."

With that, Ash left his room in order to make sure he was ready to go to bed. Tomorrow he would probably face the toughest test of his life, and one that had massive implications. He was ready.

* * *

 **Tried to make this battle a bit closer, with Ash having some issues throughout it.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I originally planned to get this out on Saturday, but decided against it as I really didn't want to push myself too hard and slow down progress on the next chapter. This chapter is short, around 2000 Words less than what I usually have. I will most likely be taking a small break from writing, consisting of the rest of the week and possibly the first few days of next week. The first of half of Ash vs Lance is underway (even though it will pale in comparison to the 2nd half)! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

" _Pikachu_!" The yellow rodent shouted as she shocked her trainer and his girlfriend, the latter most likely ignoring her attempt at waking her trainer.

"I'm already up!" Ash sat up straight in his bed after Pikachu's rude, but very much necessary, wake-up. "I wish waking up like that could be effective _and_ pleasant."

' _That doesn't work though,'_ Luna cut in, suddenly floating on her side of the bed. Looking at her like that was something Ash could get used to. _'Good morning.'_

"Good morning" Ash replied, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Glancing at the clock next to his bed, he read 9 am. He had an hour left until his match with Lance, enough time for a cold shower, breakfast and talking with his team and getting to the arena on time. At least he hoped that.

' _Can we bring Froakie along?'_ She asked, using her big pleading eyes as she moved closer to him. _'Please?'_

His attempts at not caving failed miserably. Sighing, Ash just shook his head and let Luna have her way. It didn't matter really, so there was no reason to deny her request. While she probably had a different reason in mind, he didn't care. He could also gain something from it, in the form of Froakie getting to see him and his Pokemon in a true battle. Stretching as he stood up, he shot Pikachu a quick glare before he headed for the bathroom. As usual he could hear his mom and Brock downstairs already and a voice he recognized as Sabrina's. Feeling a pair of arms wrap around him, meaing she had transformed, Ash leaned backwards and gave Luna a quick peck on her lips. He shouldn't get distracted that easily. Shaking her off, he entered the bathroom.

* * *

Much to the dismay of everyone, his breakfast only consisted of getting a cup of coffee and something to eat, in this case two slices of bread with whatever was in his reach. Now standing outside his house, Ash threw all of his pokeballs in the air while having Pikachu jump off his shoulder and join the others in front of him. With everyone expectantly looking at him, he had to figure out how wanted to say what he had in mind.

"Thank you," Ash knew that these words weren't even close to being to express his gratitude to his Pokemon. "Without you, I wouldn't be challenging Lance today for the title of Champion."

His Pokemon cheered at his words, going quiet as he told them to keep it down.

"But we're not done yet. We still need to battle Lance today, and everyone will play a role. Especially you, Glalie. You will be most likely be my ace against Lance, since pratically all of his Pokemon are weak against you. That doesn't mean this battle will be easy though. This will be our hardest battle so far, and I will all of you to perform at their best in order for us to win."

Ash hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone anymore, as his mother, Brock, May, Bianca, Luna, Sabrina and even Prof. Oak and Gary stood behind him.

"Don't forget about us." Brock said, Ash turning around as he heard him speak.

"Yeah, we will be cheering you on from the side." May added, Bianca nodding in agreement.

"You've beaten me Ash, so beating Lance should be no problem." Gary spoke, a cocky smile on his face.

"I believe, no, I know that you can win today Ash." Prof. Oak continued, his words holding no doubt.

"There's nothing that can describe of how proud I am of you right now." His mother's words were so honest, Ash's smile got even bigger than it already was.

"Do not worry about what is to come," Sabrina's voice cut right through, a more serious tone to it. "You're ready for whatever is to happen."

'You're never alone,' Reshiram's soothing voice echoed in his head. 'I will always be there for you.'

Reshiram had been a constant presence in his life since she made herself known to him, always helping him in any way she could. Finally, Luna approached him.

' _I'm here for you as well.'_ She said as she hugged him, having to put down Froakie who had been in her arms nearly the entire morning, his Pokemon roaring in agreement.

"It's time to go." Ash declared, having seen the time on his watch. Only 20 minutes left until his match would begin and he had no plans of risking being late. Sabrina released her Alakazam, while he recalled all of his Pokemon except Pikachu, telling it where it should teleport all of them. Looking closer, Ash finally took notice of its mustache, meaning it was a male. He really needed to teleport more often, as he still wasn't used to it.

"Ash Ketchum?" A new voice asked, everyone turning in the direction where it came from. Going by the clothes, the woman who had spoken was a League official.

"That's me." Ash said as he took a step forward.

"Good. I am to accompany all of you to the stadium," She explained, gesturing in the direction they would have to walk. "As the challenger, you will be given access to the waiting room so you can prepare yourself for the battle, while the rest of you will be given special seats."

Wishing him good luck, with Luna giving him a peck on the cheek, Ash was shown where he needed to go before the official lead the others to their seats.

"Alright Pikachu, this is it." Trainer spoke to starter as he simply stood in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting the call that he could go out there. Battling in front of a crowd was nothing new to him, he had done it in every League he had participated after all, though this was different. His train of thought didn't get any further as another official, a man in his early thirties if Ash would guess, appeared.

"It's time," Nothing else needed to be said as Ash followed him, Pikachu rubbing her cheek against his in encouragement. They had reached the entrance to the battlefield. "Good luck."

"Please welcome, challenger Ash Ketchum!" That was his cue.

Nodding in thanks to the official, Ash took a deep breath as he walked out on the battlefield as confidently as he possibly could. He couldn't doubt himself or his Pokemon now, not when he had come so far.

"I've been waiting for you, Ash. You're finally here!" Lance shouted across the battlefield, looking as regal as ever he stood there.

"I am. I have been waiting for this!" Ash called back, smirking at his opponent. He knew who he would send out first. Lance's team would consist of dragons, but he had nothing else to go on really. Except Dragonite. Dragonite was a constant he knew would be there. About to continue, the referee coughed lighty, getting the trainers' attention.

"This will be full 6 on 6 battle where both trainers are allowed to switch as they please. Once one trainer has lost 3 Pokemon we will have a break."

"We will find out who is the strongest trainer in Kanto and Johto, right here and right now!" Lance declared, going on as if the referee had never spoken, pokeball in his hand. "As the strongest trainer and Pokemon League Champion of our regions… I, Lance the dragon master, accept your challenge!"

Lance threw his Pokeball, the battle under its way, releasing Haxorus, who appeared on the field with a roar.

"Primeape, battle time!" Ash shouted as he threw his own pokeball, Primeape instantly ready to battle. "Ice Punch!"

"Dragon Dance, then Earthquake!" Lance responded, Haxorus standing at its full fize as it roared, before it stomped the ground.

"Be careful!" Ash warned, watching the ground for any surprising movement that could catch Primeape offguard. Spotting a slight movement, Ash did what he had to. "Jump!"

Primeape jumped, avoiding any damage as he stood before Haxorus, his fist pulled back.

"Dragon Tail!" Lance ordered, his dragon swinging its tail at full force in Primeape's direction. Both attacks struck home, as Primeape was sent flying right after his fist connected with Haxorus. That Dragon Dance sure could work wonders.

"Mega Kick!" Primeape began to sprint, the white glow on his right leg increasing with each passing second.

"Earthquake again!" Ash frowned as the ground shook again, Primeape getting knocked down as the ground split apart below him. Lance clearly had something planned, if the way he completely trashed the battlefield was anything to go by.

"Keep going!" Ash shouted, Primeape standing up again as he continued his assault on Haxorus. Lance had not told Haxorus to move at all. That could mean two things. Either he was confident in Haxorus' ability to match Primeape, or Haxorus was just there to set up the field the way Lance wanted. The field wasn't a massive problem in his opinion, since only Primeape and Donphan were truly affected by it. Charizard and Pidgeot would have no problem, neither would Glalie and Pikachu could manage. That meant that Lance wanted to take it to the air.

"Outrage!" That certainly didn't work in Ash's favor as Haxorus' eyes glowed red for a split second.

"Close Combat!" Primeape's Mega Kick didn't hold a candle to Haxorus' Outrage. Both Pokemon charged at eachother, their attacks colliding head on. Outrage wasn't that different from Close Combat, except it was far less controlled and just a display of brute force. As it became clearer what was going on, Ash grinned as he Primeape holding Haxorus in a headlock.

"Haxorus, break free!"

"Not a chance, pummel him with Ice Punch!" Primeape did just that as his fist was glowing, hitting Haxorus' head as many times as he could. "Now, Seismic Toss!"

The crowd hadn't been quiet for a single second so far, but now they went completely quiet as Primeape put his arms around Haxorus. He hadn't even thought about the fact that he could hear his own voice amplified. Somewhere there had to be a microphone, picking up anything he, and Lance, said. In an incredible feat of raw determination and strength, Primeape lifted a struggling Haxorus, letting himself fall backwards and slamming Haxorus into the ground.

"Incredible," Lance muttered, as Haxorus stood up shakliy on its legs. "Dragon Tail!"

"Jump over it!" Ash called, Primeape deftly jumping over Haxorus' tail. "Let's go with Ice Punch one last time!"

Sending his fist straight into Haxorus' chest, Primeape shoved him as far as he could. It didn't take long for Haxorus to fall over, swirls in its eyes.

"Haxorus is unable to battle!" The referee shouted, raising a flag. "Champion Lance, please send out your next Pokemon!"

"Most impressive, Ash," Lance spoke calmly as he recalled his fallen dragon, seemingly not having an ounce of worry. "Haxorus hadn't evolved too long ago, and he did what I wanted."

"I somewhat expected that with the way you kept it using Earthquake. But I'm not done either," Ash replied, as he grabbed Primeape's pokeball. "Primeape, return."

"Glalie!"

"Altaria!"

They released their Pokemon at the same time, with vastly different reactions at their opponent's choice. Ash grinned as he saw Lance's Altaria while Lance paled. Glalie would have a field day with the dragon and flying-type.

"Ice Beam!" Ash didn't wait as he immediately called out his first attack.

"Dodge it and then use Toxic!" Lance shouted, Altaria softly flapping its wings, avoiding Glalie's Ice Beam while staying close enough in order to attack. Opening its mouth, the poisonous substance left it.

"Spin to the side!" Ash ordered, Glalie spinning to side. "Now use Ice Shard!"

Compared to his previous attack, Glalie had no problem hitting his one, or part of it for that matter. Altaria's cry of pain indicated that the ice-type had gotten in some hits.

"Roost!" Lance had by the looks of it recovered from his surprise of seeing his Glalie. This was definitely reminding him of his battle against Karen yesterday.

"Ice Beam, let's go!" He hoped that Altaria would be immobile for long enough to Glalie could get a clean shot on it with his Ice Beam. The attack struck the now recovered Altaria, its effort of recovering wasted completely.

"Fire Blast!"

"What?!" Ash had completely disregarded the fact that many of the dragons could learn fire-type moves, and one as strong as Fire Blast would absolutely devastate Glalie. "Dodge it!"

Altaria unleashed the attack, the uniquely formed flames that were Fire Blast barely missing Glalie.

"Toxic again!" Lance changed it up as Altaria for the second time tried to poison Glalie.

"Get close and use Gyro Ball!" Ash retalliated, the ice-type in a surprise showing of speed started to spin faster and faster as he crashed into Altaria.

"Fire Blast!" As soon as the dragon-type had recovered, flames engulfed Glalie, making a noise that indicated the pain it was in.

"Icy Wind!" Ash knew that Glalie wasn't out yet. While he knew that another Fire Blast would most likely spell the end, anything else was still doable. Blowing out the attack, Ash cheered as he could see Altaria's left wing being frozen. That meant he had one or more free shots.

"Hit its right wing with Ice Beam!" If Altaria's right wing ended up being frozen as well, getting in hits was guaranteed. As Glalie fired the Ice Beam at the dragon and flying-type's right wing, Ash noticed Lance stance. Confidence and no worry. Something was clearly off.

"Tailwind!" Lance ordered, Altaria, flapping with her right wing while the left wing tried its best to follow suit. Soon a strong wind had been created, right before Glalie's Ice Beam right Altaria.

"Finish it with Gyro Ball!" Ash shouted, surprised as Lance held out a pokeball.

"Return, Altaria." Lance recalled his damage Altaria. "Go, Kingdra!"

Lance's replacement for Altaria, floated in the air, compensating for the lack of water. While water-type moves weren't the best against ice-types, neither were dragon-types, Ash knew that Glalie was having a tough time after that Fire Blast from Altaria. And the Tailwind that had just been used would really hurt Glalie, since now Kingdra would be much faster than Glalie.

"Glalie, come back!" He couldn't have his trump Pokemon against Lance already go down. A change was needed. Recalling the ice-type, he picked his next Pokemon. "Primeape, take his place!"

While Primeape had already battled, Ash expected him to be fine for at least another battle, maybe more.

"Scald!" Lance ordered, going first this time.

"Dodge it and use Close Combat!" Ash called out, his loyal fighting-type preparing to pummel Kingdra.

"Send him flying with Hydro Pump!" Lance countered, Kingdra holding in its attack until Primeape already had his fist lifted and ready. The high pressured stream of water hit Primeape, hurling him backwards like a ragdoll.

"Get up and use Mega Kick!" Ash resigned himself to defeat there, unless he found a way around Kingdra's barrage of ranged attacks, and Primeape's lack of them. While he could recall Primeape, Ash wasn't sure that Primeape would be in a better spot against any of Lance's other dragon.

"Draco Meteor!" The Champion shouted, Ash's eyes widening as his move of choice. What an opportunity he was given there!

"Use Mega Kick to propell yourself upwards with the help of the meteors falling down!" Primeape sent him a questionable look, but nodded as he braced himself. Leaping off the ground, Primeape used the increased force behind his leaps that Mega Kick gave him to climb higher and higher.

"Knock him out of the air with Dragon Pulse!" Lance answered as he soon as he had gathered himself from his initial surprise.

"Mega Kick, full power!" Ash commanded, as Primeape had gotten as high as he possibly could. "Let's go!"

As Kingdra's Dragon Pulse was about to engulf Primeape, the fighting-type did the opposite of what the dragon-type and its trainer had expected. Primeape, putting all of his power behind this one kick, pushed straight through the Dragon Pulse, taking the attack with him as he aimed for Kingdra. The fighting-type kept pushing, never slowing down until his Mega Kick and Kingdra's Dragon Pulse all crashed into the seahorse, creating an explosion and hindering any clear view on what exactly was going on.

"Kingdra and Primeape are unable to battle!"

Letting go of the breath he had been holding, Ash trying to spot his friends. Searching for them, he found them relatively fast, sitting directly to his right, having a perfect view of the battle. Smiling at them, Ash focused on Luna and Froake before he quickly refocused on the task at hand. While had nearly expected Primeape to faint from Kingdra's Dragon Pulse without getting anything in return, Primeape had prevailed through raw determination. He was ahead of Lance with only Primeape down, while Lance had two of his Pokemon down, that meant nothing so far. Glalie wouldn't be able to take that many hits anymore. Depending on who Lance chose though, Glalie could be in a very good spot.

"Glalie!"

"Dragonite!"

A sound of surprise went through the crowd as Lance's Dragonite was standing on the field. While Ash was no stranger to Dragonites, this one was unique in its own right. Larger than average, its facial expression was the complete opposite of what you'd expect from Lance's ace. A soft expression was what it wore, looking at him and his Pokemon with big eyes.

"Don't let her expression fool you. While she's not as battle hungry as the Dragonite you fought last time, she's still my first and strongest Pokemon. If you want to become Champion, getting past her is something you have to do." The Champion explained, a smug look on his face. If this would be any other Dragonite, Glalie's chances wouldn't be that bad, but against the titan that Lance's Dragonite was things were very different.

"Ice Beam!" Ash knew that something had to be done. Any hit could help him win, and that was what he signalled Glalie.

"Fire Punch!" Lance shouted, surprising Ash with another fire-type move. He should have expected it though, since what easier way was there to beat ice-types then with fire-type moves? As Glalie aimed for Dragonite, Ash thought through his options. He expected Lance to switch out Dragonite out eventually, since Lance knew that Dragonite would be needed for his strongest Pokemon.

"Slow her down with Icy Wind!" Missing his Ice Beam, Glalie didn't let that affect him as he called for the cold winds, pelting Dragonite and trying his best to hinder her. Altaria's Tailwind, which was still in affect, hadn't helped Kingdra that much. It was clearly still there, as Dragonite moved at a respectable speed through Glalie's Icy Wind, but the slowdown was enough for the ice-type to avoid Dragonite's Fire Punch.

"Nail that Glalie with Extremespeed!" Lance ordered, his loyal dragon zooming forwards as she nearly disappeared from sight. Being used to such feats from some of his own Pokemon, Ash was ready for it.

"Gyro Ball!" Ash called out, Glalie anticipating Dragonite, as he started to spin right as she would hit him. Hurling Dragonite back, Glalie was unprepared for the speed at which she recovered and attacked again.

"Hyper Beam!" Lance had no intentions of letting Glalie continue, the orange beam hitting hard as Glalie crashed into the ground.

"Ice Beam!" Ash returned fire, the Ice Beam being unavoidable as Dragonite had to recover from her usage of Hyper Beam while Glalie was ready faster. "Now, knock her out with Sheer Cold!"

"Sheer Cold?!" Lance exclaimed, taken back by his choice of move. "Dragonite, return!"

"Wait for it." Ash muttered, still loud enough for Glalie to hear. There was no point in attacking if there was no target to hit.

"Altaria, take her place!"

"Go!" He shouted as Altaria materialized on the field. If Sheer Cold would connect he would be in a very favorable position, with only one Pokemon knocked out and Glalie quite hurt plus 4 Pokemon at the ready while Lance would only have 3 left.

"Dodge it!" Lance didn't rest on his laurels as Altaria did a well executed spin to the side, Ash's chance at knocking it out immediately going to waste. "Use Roost!"

"Ice Beam!" Ash ordered, trying to take the chances he were given. Instead, Altaria only recovered for a short time as it dodged Glalie's attack again.

"Draco Meteor!"

"Power through with Gyro Ball!"

Glalie spun through the barrage that was Draco Meteor, crushing the stones as they made impact.

"Fire Blast!" Ash grinned at Lance's choice of move.

"Explosion, let's go!"

With no distance between them, Glalie rammed Altaria as he started to glow stronger and stronger.

"Fire!" To Ash's shock, the dragon-type still managed to use the attack, blasting Glalie with the fire-type move.

"Glalie!" Ash shouted as his Pokemon landed in front of him.

"Using an ice-type against me isn't a bad idea. Don't think that I don't know how to deal with them though," Lance spoke, Glalie clearly struggling to get up. "He's still not down?"

Glalie, slowly but carefully, floated in the air again, looking more pissed off than Ash had ever seen him.

"Ice Shard!" Using Glalie's anger towards Lance and Altaria to his advantage, Ash had to fire on all cylinders if he wanted to force the break. The small pieces of ice struck Altaria, who didn't look any better for wear than Glalie. Noticing the hand Lance placed on his pokeballs, his eyes narrowed as he removed it again. Altaria was at its limit, so the point of switching wasn't there.

"Dragon Pulse!" Lance retalliated, Altaria in pain as it fired off the attack.

"Counter it with Ice Beam!" As the attacks met head on, it was clear that Altaria's Dragon Pulse wouldn't be able to overcome Glalie's Ice Beam. Overpowering the opposing attack, Altaria was unable to dodge the ice-type move as it hit, dropping the dragon-type to the ground. Seeing that Altaria had fainted, Ash focused on Glalie who clearly wasn't faring any better than his opponent. Another second passed before he too dropped to the ground, making it another draw.

"Altaria and Glalie are both unable to battle! With that Champion Lance has lost 3 Pokemon!" The referee declared as he raised two flags, booming out his declaration. "Both trainers will be given 15 minutes to recover and prepare themselves for the remainder of the battle!"

* * *

As Ash slumped down on the bench in the room he had been guided to, he closed his eyes as he rested his head against the wall. That battle had taken more out of him than he thought. He had managed to get in a few words with his friends, who had all praised him. Thinking about what was awaiting him, Ash knew it wouldn't get any easier once he and Lance went at it again. Besides Dragonite, he had no idea what dragon-types Lance had in his arsenal. Except that they would be strong, no doubt about it. A nudge on his arms pulled his attention away from what could possibly happen.

"Yeah, I know you're itching to battle. You will get your chance soon enough," Ash reassured his starter, as she kept nudging his arm. "What is it?"

Ash certainly was capable of understanding Pikachu, for the most part. Even after all these years he sometimes got a little confused by some of the things she was saying, or she was just talking fast, way too fast for him. As he sent her a look of confusion, Pikachu did what worked when not talking to him. Pointing to the exit, Pikachu tried her best to depict something big, hoping Ash would understand her.

"I'm not sure I understand. Something big outside?"

"Pika." Pikachu sighed. Kissing the air, she knew she had gotten her point across.

"Luna? What about her?" Trainer asked Pokemon, blushing lightly. They had never truly talked about the relationship he and Luna had. He should have known that it would be coming eventually, and now seemed to be the moment they would talk about it.

"Pikapi, pi cha." Listening to what his starter was saying, he nodded as he understood.

"I'm not really sure yet. We haven't talked about how our plans for the future look."

"Pikapi, kachu ka." Pikachu grinned at her best friend as he his cheeks turned deep red.

"A family? I haven't even given that any thought, " Ash admitted, scratching his head in embarrassment. "I would like that though."

'Pikachu, dont put Ash on the spot like that," Reshiram admonished the electric-type, her tone soft. 'I'm happy to hear that you like a family with her, but that's nothing you should worry about yet.'

"Suppose so," Ash said, about to say something more as a signal alerted him that it was time. "It's time to go."

Standing up, Ash took confident steps forward as he walked through the hallway that would lead him back outside.

"This is it," Ash spoke, both to Pikachu and to the rest of his team, even though they couldn't hear him. "Together we will pull through."

With that he stepped out onto the battlefield. He wouldn't falter and neither would his team. He had complete trust in them and his ability as a trainer and that was all they would need in to prevail.


End file.
